This easy White Chocolate Chip Pecan Shortbread Cookie recipe makes the perfect delicate, light shortbread cookies. The slice and bake dough freezes well, too, so you can bake them up whenever the urge strikes!
I just chalk it up to biorhythms. It’s been a few weeks of veggies, fruits, salsas, and gazpachos around here, and I’m feeling like something’s missing. I can’t help it, it’s chemical. When I go too long without anything sweet I tend to forage in the kitchen after dinner, sometimes I’ll land on a bag of chips, other times maybe the jar of peanut butter. That’s my signal to get baking.
Like my other shortbread cookie recipes, these are simple to make out of a very few basic ingredients. The slice and bake method means you can easily prepare the dough ahead of time and slice and bake it whenever. Make one, or the whole batch, it’s up to you.
TIP: Spoon some softened vanilla ice cream between two of these cookies, then wrap and chill. Yum.
Go ahead…
you know you want one…
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (16 tablespoons/1 cup/8 ounces/220 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup roughly chopped pecans
Instructions
- Set oven to 325F
- Cream the butter and the sugar together. Beat in the vanilla.
- Add the flour, chocolate chips, and pecans and mix well.
- Form into an 11-12 inch log on a piece of waxed or parchment paper. Roll the log in the paper, smoothing it out as you go. Twist the ends to secure.
- Refrigerate the log for about 2 hours.
- Slice the log into 3/8 inch slices and place on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for about 15 minutes until the cookies are just turning a light brown around the edges. The centers will still be quite pale.
- Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet to firm up for a few minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack.
Notes:
- For a flourless gluten free white chocolate chip cookie try my Flourless White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies.
- I always eat one cookie hot from the oven. Just saying.
don’t forget to pin these white chocolate chip pecan shortbread cookies!
26 Comments
Clara
December 25, 2018 at 7:10 pmI hope these will be similar to my mothers cocoons. Anxiousness to make them
Kay Rood
December 13, 2018 at 9:07 pm325 seems quite low, and my batch is not getting done. Any ideas about temperature for this recipe?
Sue
December 13, 2018 at 9:14 pmYou can cook shortbread at 325F or 350F, Kay, and it’s possible that for your oven 350F is better. Keep in mind that shortbread doesn’t become brown or golden, and seems quite pale and almost looks under-done when it’s fully cooked.
Stephanie
March 1, 2017 at 1:57 amWhat are the exact measurements for two sticks of butter?
Sue
November 19, 2017 at 3:11 pm2 sticks are: one cup/16 tablespoons/8 ounces/220grams
Stephanie
December 10, 2015 at 2:26 pmI am going to make these for a cookie exchange, they look delish! Is it ok to make the dough the day before and let sit overnight in the fridge? Thank you!
Sue
December 10, 2015 at 2:41 pmThat should be fine Stephanie!
Lisa
November 21, 2015 at 6:14 pmHi Sue,
Thanks for this recipe I’ve made the cookies a couple of times and they are always devoured really quickly!
Is it possible to freeze the dough or the cookies? I need to make some ahead of time, this time.
Thanks
Lisa
Sue
November 21, 2015 at 6:15 pmShortbread dough freezes really well Lisa, so you should be good to go. I’m glad you liked the recipe, I love that combination.
Mary Wikswo
October 20, 2015 at 10:26 amThese will go on my list of cookies I love. Everybody who ate the first batch raved and requested the recipe. I just need to make them as pretty as the picture.
Sue
October 20, 2015 at 10:44 amThanks Mary — I appreciate you letting me know!
Rachel
September 7, 2014 at 1:41 pmI just attempted to make these cookies and the dough is delicious, but I am embarrassed to say I was unable to slice my dough after it sat in the refrigerator. For some reason when I tried to slice it the dough just crumbled into pieces. Do you have any tips as to what I could do for next time?
Sue
September 7, 2014 at 2:09 pmHi Rachel — if you let the dough sit out a bit to soften, that will help. Also make sure you start with room temperature butter and the dough gets well mixed. In any case, if you get some crumbling, just push the pieces back together with your fingers. Hope this helps!
Amy
May 28, 2012 at 1:11 amSue, you always make the best variations on the classic shortbread! It’s always so inspiring.
Mary
May 27, 2012 at 1:56 pmOh my heavens, Sue. I’m pretty sure you just posted the latest recipe to go viral on Pinterest. These look unbelievably good! I’m grinning at your ability to eat only ONE warm from the oven. I’m pretty sure I’d eat the full two dozen.
Susan Lindquist
May 27, 2012 at 1:26 pmWe are cookie hounds in this house and I am always on the lookout for a good recipe to fill the cookie jar … SCORE! Thanks! Your pictures are drool worthy!
Thyme (Sarah)
May 27, 2012 at 12:24 pmIt’s a holiday…and you can’t argue with chemistry. Gosh Darnit that says it all! Your cookies baked up so perfectly….I mean perfectly!! What a combo with that white chocolate and pecans. Have a great holiday weekend.
Claudia
May 26, 2012 at 11:17 pmNow you’ve gone and done it – I’m in the mood for cookies. Those cookies. Your cookies.
Marina {Yummy Mummy)
May 27, 2012 at 5:37 amYou and I share a love of shortbread logs :) This one looks AMAZING. Yummy!
Magnolia Verandah
May 26, 2012 at 1:10 pmNothing like homemade biscuits hot straight from the oven. And you deserve the first taste, you did all the work. These look great.
Val
May 26, 2012 at 7:19 pmCookie Perfection!
Lizzy
May 26, 2012 at 1:16 pmMmmmmm….I can’t resist a cookie with white chocolate as an ingredient! YUM!
Katie @ Baking Unadorned
May 26, 2012 at 1:05 pmYum these look great. I do the same foraging in the kitchen thing! Shortbread has been my go to lately. I know you love it too – have you tried it with melted butter? So simple!
Sue/the view from great island
May 26, 2012 at 4:07 pmI haven’t tried that, except I think once I made it with browned butter. Send me your recipe I’d love to try!
Katie @ baking unadorned
May 27, 2012 at 10:55 amHere you go: http://bakingunadorned.wordpress.com/shortbread-revolution-going-off-piste/
Let me know what you think. I think they are just as good this way and so easy!
P.s. I hope the link works. Doing this on my phone and it’s been tricky!
From Beyond My Kitchen Window
May 26, 2012 at 10:57 amYum! Shortbread cookies are so buttery and delicious. They always smell so wonderful when they are baking.