I haven’t made anything chocolatey for a while, for good reason: It’s summertime and there is such an abundance of fruits, veg and berries, that I should leave chocolate for the winter, when I am not as lucky. That said, chocolate is pretty good too, so I decided to make these sugar cookies. And pecans and sea salt? How can you go wrong!
Ingredients
3 1/4 cups flour
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
for the glaze and decoration
4 ounces dark chocolate
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
4 tablespoons toasted pecans, finely chopped
sea salt, for sprinkling
Directions
In the work bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add in the egg and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Add flour and mix until just combined. Let chill in the fridge for one hour.
Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with parchment or silpat.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4-1/2 an inch and cut out desired shapes. Place on prepared cookie sheets and return to the fridge for 10 minutes. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden. Repeat with remaining dough. Allow cookies to cool completely
Toast and finely chop the pecans. In a metal bowl set over a simmering pot of water, melt the chocolate and vegetable shortening. Line the counter or cookie sheets with wax paper, then dip the cookies half way in the melted chocolate.Top with nuts and a sprinkle of sea salt while the chocolate is still wet. Let set on the counter until completely hardened.
