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Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies Recipe

BySarah

These Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies are soft, buttery, brown sugar cookies topped with brown sugar frosting and more pecans — perfect for Christmas baking or any day of the year! Includes step by step recipe video

Yes, they’re soft and fluffy instead of dense and chewy like most of the cookies I make. But they’re filled with brown sugar. And they’re topped with brown sugar frosting. And pecans. Pee-cans.

Sorry, I’m Canadian.

But I tried to channel my secret inner Southern girl when I made you these praline-inspired cookies.

Now, when you make these, there is just the perfect amount of frosting for the cookies plus about 3 tablespoons. Feel free to spoon those right into your mouth. You don’t even have to tell anyone.

Ingredients
Cookies:
1 cup butter room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour I did 50% whole wheat, 50% all-purpose, but you could use all-purpose
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
36 pecan halves or chopped pecans toasted, optional
Frosting:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup milk or cream I use 1% milk
1 tbsp butter or margarine
2 cups powdered sugar sifted

Instructions
Cookies:In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
Add in flour, baking soda, and salt beat until combined. Stir in chopped pecans.
Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes (or more).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Shape into 1″ balls (I used a 1 tbsp cookie scoop) and place a couple inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets or parchment paper. Bake 10 minutes or until set (not glossy at all in the middle) and lightly browned at the edges. Cool before frosting.
FrostingCombine brown sugar and milk in a small pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and boil 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter.
Stir in 1½ cups powdered sugar and whisk or beat with a mixer until smooth. If frosting is too thin, add more sugar, but keep in mind it will firm up dramatically within a few minutes.
Spread each cookie with about 1 tbsp frosting and top with a pecan or chopped pecans. Let frosting set before storing.