Buttery Pecan Pumpkin Spice Cookies

I loved this cookie dough so much that it was hard to even bake it because I just kept nibbling on it.

But I’m so glad I did.

The cookies are super soft, buttery, full of rich pumpkin flavor and there are plenty of pecans in every bite.

I used a dough base I haven’t used since I made Candy Corn Cookies last fall. I’ve also used it for Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies and Maraschino Cherry White Chocolate Cookies.

It calls for 2 tablespoons of cream or half-and-half. The cream really tenderizes the dough and it just melts in your mouth.

The dough is slightly sweeter, creamier, and tastes more buttery than my trusty chocolate chip cookie dough base and is the perfect contrast to the crunchy, preservative-free Fisher Pecans I used.

I’m partnering with Fisher Nuts as a Fisher Fresh Thinker and will be sharing several Fisher Nuts recipe posts throughout the year.

Fisher has a fun contest going on from September 9 through October 21, 2014 Entries can be submitted here and must include pecans, walnuts or almonds.

Recipes will be judged on originality, integration of nuts, taste, and visual appeal. Each submission will be featured on myfreshtwist.com where Fisher fans, friends, and families can vote to select the top ten finalists. Chef Alex Guarnaschelli and a panel of judges will choose the winners.

The Grand Prize Winner gets trip for two to NYC including airfare, dinner and accommodations, will meet Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, and $500 cash.

Fourteen semi-finalists will receive $100 Visa gift card, and a signed copy of Chef Alex’s cookbook. Weekly prizes are also being provided.

Between the pumpkin pie spice and the scent of pecans baking, you’ll be ready for fall in no time.

Salty-and-sweet, soft and chewy, and so hard to resist. I loved these. One of my personal favorites of 2014.

Buttery Pecan Pumpkin Spice Cookies

The cookies are super soft, buttery, full of rich pumpkin flavor and there are plenty of pecans in every bite. It calls for cream or half-and-half which really tenderizes the dough it just melts in your mouth. The dough is sweet, creamy, buttery and is the perfect contrast to the crunchy pecans. Between the pumpkin pie spice and the scent of pecans baking, you’ll be ready for fall in no time. Salty-and-sweet, soft and chewy, and so hard to resist. One of my personal favorites this year.

Yield: 14 medium/large cookies

Prep Time: 10 mintues

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours, for dough chilling

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cream or half-and-half
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste (if your nuts are already salted, keep this in mind when adding salt)
2 cups Fisher Pecan Halves (roasted, unsalted), roughly chopped if desired (I hardly chopped them because the mixer breaks some and I wanted big chunky pieces)

Directions:

1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the cream, and beat on low speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
3. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, corn starch, baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
4. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the pecans, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
5. Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 14 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly. Tips - Strategically place a few pecans on top of each mound of dough by taking pecans from the underside and adding them to top. Pecans that bake directly on the baking sheet on the undersides of the cookies could become overly browned; try to shield them with dough or relocate to tops/sides.
6. Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
7. Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 10 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don't overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don't use a rack.
8. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Dough base adapted from Candy Corn White Chocolate Softbatch Cookies

Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

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This post was brought to you by Fisher Nuts. Recipe, images, and opinions expressed are my own. #thinkfisher