Pecan Shortbread Cookies

I had some leftover pecans in the freezer from who knows what, and I wanted to use them up. I've also been craving shortbread cookies, so why not?

So I head to Google for recipes and end up at The Food Network site with a recipe from Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa. I threw rationality out the window and decided this would be the recipe I used, the first one I saw.

So I go and set up my KitchenAid and look for my camera. 

Where's my camera?

It's in the car.

Mark has the car, and is at work till 1:30a.m.

grumble grumble grumble.....

I grabbed a very large spoonful of peppermint ice cream, sat down and ruminated over what to do. I have no other camera...maybe I could just make them, then take a picture of them later? Nooo, I like to take pictures as I go. Maybe I can use some old pictures I have or get pictures of what I need from Google and do that? Noo, that would be stupid. 

I look over and see my phone.

Let's do this.

Now, this is no ordinary phone, my friends. No, This is a Sony Ericsson flip phone I got for 50 bucks that has 3G. Oh yeah. This would have been top of the line in like, 2001.

So of course half of them were unusable but hopefully you get the idea... :)

Cream together 1 cup of sugar and 3 sticks of room temperature butter. Then add 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. almond extract (I only used vanilla because I don't have any almond)

Add in 3 1/2 cups flour that has been sifted with 1/4 tsp salt

Pecans! I chopped them up and toasted them in a 350 degree oven for a couple minutes..you'll need 1 1/2 cups chopped (small) pecans.

Throw them in with the dough and mix!

Chill in the fridge for at least a half hour, and then the recipe calls to roll them out and cut. I made logs assuming I would just cut slices but that didn't work out so well, so I rolled out balls and made little discs.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Mine were done at around 15 minutes.

Who needs an iPhone and a $1.99 Hipstamatic App when your flip phone can take pictures like THIS?!

Overall I really liked the flavor of these cookies, but I think I'd do some things differently next time. A LOT of people were saying in the reviews how crumbly the dough was and they couldn't roll and cut the cookies. I wanted to try the recipe as is to see if I'd get a different result, but, no dice. If making this recipe I suggest adding 1 more stick of butter and 2T more sugar. I'm sure if Ina read this she'd say I wasn't using good enough ingredients. She didn't get that house in the Hamptons just using regular vanilla and store brand pecans, you know! For the recipe in it's entirety, and to read other reviews, click here.

Tomorrow I'm heading to the Saturday Market for some fresh berries, come back then to see what I make with them!!! :D

Love,

Kailee