Delicate Butter Shortbread Cookies (Print version)

Buttery shortbread with pecans, coated in powdered sugar for a festive treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Nuts

03 - 1 cup finely chopped pecans

→ Creaming Mixture

04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for rolling
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter with 1/2 cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
04 - Mix in vanilla extract until incorporated.
05 - Gradually add flour mixture to creamed butter mixture, stirring until just combined.
06 - Fold in finely chopped pecans gently.
07 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions and roll into balls. Arrange on prepared sheets about 1 inch apart.
08 - Bake 14 to 16 minutes until bottoms are lightly golden and tops are set, avoiding browning.
09 - Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then while warm, roll in additional powdered sugar to coat.
10 - Cool completely on a wire rack, then roll again in powdered sugar for a snowy finish.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They're secretly simple to make, which means you can bake them anytime without stress or complicated equipment.
  • The buttery, delicate texture paired with that snowdrift of powdered sugar hits differently than most cookies, especially with coffee.
  • Once you've made them once, you'll understand why they appear on every celebration table—they're that good and that dependable.
02 -
  • The cookies bake pale on purpose—they continue cooking slightly as they cool, and overbaking makes them dry and bitter instead of buttery and tender.
  • Rolling them in sugar while they're still warm makes the coating stick; cold cookies shed the sugar like snow off a roof.
  • Don't skip the second sugar roll once they've cooled—that's what gives them their iconic look and adds another layer of sweetness.
03 -
  • If your kitchen is warm, chill the dough for 30 minutes before scooping—warm dough spreads too much and bakes unevenly.
  • Use a cookie scoop if you have one; it ensures every cookie is the same size so they bake at the same rate.
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