Three-quarters of a cup of butter is melted and cooked until the milk solids turn amber and smell nutty. That browned butter is what gives these their butter-pecan flavour.
Chopped pecans are toasted in a dry skillet for a few minutes, folded into the dough and chilled for thirty minutes. Each scoop gets a pecan half pressed into the top before baking.
How to Make It
Butter browned
Melt the butter in a saucepan and cook until the milk solids turn amber and smell nutty. Cool 10 minutes.
Pecans toasted
Toast the chopped pecans in a dry skillet for 3 to 4 minutes and cool.
Dry mix
Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt.
Dough
Whisk the browned butter with both sugars, the egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Fold in the dry ingredients and chopped pecans.
Chilled
Chill the dough 30 minutes.
Scooped and topped
Heat oven to 350°F. Scoop 18 cookies onto lined sheets and press one pecan half into each.
Baked
Bake 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are set and the centres are soft. Cool on the sheets.
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter
- Three-quarters of a cup, browned until amber and nutty.
- Chopped pecans
- One cup, toasted in a dry skillet before mixing.
- Pecan halves
- Eighteen, one pressed onto each cookie.
Success Tips
- Scrape every brown fleck from the pan into the bowl; that is the flavour.
- Watch the pecans closely; they go from toasted to burnt fast.
- Leave the cookies on the sheet to finish setting as they cool.
Why This Recipe Works
- Browning the butter adds a toasted, caramel note.
- An extra yolk makes the centres chewy and rich.
- Toasting the pecans deepens their flavour and crunch.
- Chilling the melted-butter dough stops the cookies spreading thin.
Serving Ideas
Pile them on a plate with a few whole pecans scattered around.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Keep in an airtight tin at room temperature for several days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the butter browned?
Yes. It is cooked until the milk solids turn amber, then cooled.
Are they glazed?
No. The only topping is a pecan half on each.
