Christmas is coming! Only 24 more days now! Weeee!

And in honor of the beginning of the Christmas season, I’d thought I’d bake something I never had before.

Unfortunately, they aren’t in the Chocolate & Carrots style of baking. It’s just hard to make a shortbread ‘healthy’ for you. Ya know?!?!?

So, just suck it up like I did and use that butter…all 4 sticks of it!

Enjoy these soft cookies with that little bit of crunch from the pecans! And Merry Almost Christmas!

P.S. What’s your favorite Christmas cookie?

 

Pecan Shortbread Cookies

slightly adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 ounces 1/3 fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chopped pecans

How-To

1. After letting your butter and cream cheese come to room temperature, beat them in your stand mixer (or an electric hand mixer) for about 2 minutes.
2. Add in the sugar and vanilla extract and beat for another 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
3. Slowly add in the flour until it’s incorporated, but do not over mix.
4. Fold in 1 1/2 cups of the chopped pecans.
5. Transfer half of the dough to a large piece of plastic wrap and use the plastic wrap to shape it into a log (2″ in diameter and about 8″ long).
6. Repeat with the other half of dough.
7. Place the logs in the freezer for at least 2 hours or until hard.
8. After the three hours are over, preheat the oven to 350°F.
9. Once you’re ready to take the logs out (one at a time), sprinkle the other 1 1/2 cups of chopped pecans out on a cutting board to roll the dough on.
10. Roll as many of the pecans on the dough as possible.
11. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1/4-1/2″ slices and place at least 1″ apart on a baking sheet that has been covered with a silpat mat or non-stick foil.
12. Bake for 10 minutes, and rotate the pan for even baking, and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the edges are a light golden brown.
13. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet.
14. Repeat with the other log.

Servings: 2 dozen cookies, or more if you cut them thinner