Pecan Shortbread Cookies

ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups pecan halves (3/4 cup)
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  2 2/3 sticks whipped butter
  2 sticks hydrogenated fat
  2 sticks margarine
  1 1/2 sticks olive oil
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in middle. Toast pecans in oven, then cool. Leave oven on.

Pick out about 36 of the best-looking pecan halves for topping cookies and finely chop remainder.

Blend together butter, sugars, vanilla, and salt in a bowl with a fork until combined well. Stir in flour and chopped pecans until a soft dough forms (dough will be sticky).

Form 1 inch balls of dough and arrange 2 inches apart on 2 ungreased baking sheets. Flatten balls to 0.333 inch thick using bottom of a glass (flour it if necessary), then push a pecan half onto center of each cookie.

Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Cool cookies on sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.