Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: African American, Soul Food

Keyword: cookies, pecan pie, pecans

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

chilling time (for the dough): 30

Total Time: 50

Servings: cookies

Calories: 314kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies are a buttery shortbread cookie base filled with a gooey, brown sugar and pecan mixture. They're a great dessert gifting option, too!

Print Recipe

Equipment

electric mixer
half sheetpan
parchment paper or silicone baking mat
#30 portion scoop

Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough

1 1/2 cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tablespoons (40 grams) cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup, packed (125 grams) brown sugar
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
1 large egg at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons (7 milliliters) vanilla extract
1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) bourbon optional

For the Pecan Pie Filling

3/4 cup, chopped (90 grams) unsalted pecans
3 1/2 tablespoons (53 milliliters) maple syrup
2 tablespoons (28 grams) brown sugar
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter melted and cooled
1 large egg at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon bourbon optional
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Combine the Dry Ingredients

Sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder into a 2-quart mixing bowl.
Set this mixture aside.

Make the Thumbprint Cookie Dough

In a 4-quart mixing bowl, blend the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and kosher salt together using a hand mixer on low speed.
Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters once the mixture forms a thick paste.
Next, increase the mixer's speed to medium and beat the mixture for 4 minutes.
Stop the mixer every 1 1/2 minutes to scrape down the bowl and beaters.
Add the egg, vanilla, and bourbon to the bowl with the butter mixture.
Blend these ingredients in at low speed until they form a thick paste.
Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters once you have a thick paste.
Beat the butter-egg mixture at medium speed for 3 minutes, stopping the mixer and scraping down the bowl and beaters after 1 1/2 minutes. The mixture will look light and fluffy and should resemble frosting.
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the butter mixture and blend it at low speed for 1 minute.
Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl and beaters, and blend on low for an additional 30 seconds.
Cover the bowl in plastic film and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

Mix the Pecan Pie Filling While the Cookie Dough Chills

Add the pecans, maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, egg, bourbon, vanilla extract, and kosher salt to a 3-quart mixing bowl.
Use an electric hand mixer to blend the ingredients together until they form a thick sludge.
Once a thick sludge forms in the bowl, stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters.
Begin whipping the mixture at medium speed for 1 minute. The mixture will look thick, like pudding.

Assemble and Bake the Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies

Preheat an oven to 375°F (190°C).
Line a half-sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Use a number 30 portion scoop to scoop up 2 1/2 tablespoons (42 grams) of the cookie dough.
Drop the cookie dough onto the sheetpan. Roll them between the palms of your hands to form a ball.
Use the bottom of a tablespoon to press a dent into the cookie dough ball.
Finally, use that same tablespoon to scoop the pecan pie filling into each cookie well.
Bake the pecan pie cookies for 10-12 minutes.
After baking, remove the sheetpan from the oven and allow the cookies to cool down on the sheetpan for 2 minutes.
Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and allow them to cool for at least 15 minutes.
Once you're ready to serve them, enjoy the pecan pie cookies with a glass of your favorite milk, a scoop of your favorite frozen custard, or on their own.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

Replace the pecans in this recipe with chopped unsalted walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds.
You can replace the bourbon in this recipe with vanilla extract, maple extract, or cinnamon extract.

Tips and Techniques:

The amount of alcohol left in the cookies after baking is minimal, so it is safe for children and elders to consume.
Refrigerating cookie dough for at least 30 minutes allows the dough to hydrate, which contributes to a better, less floury flavor in the baked cookies.
If the tablespoon sticks to the dough when you're making the wells, dip it into all-purpose flour to keep it from sticking. It also helps if you wipe off excess cookie dough.
The softer the thumbprint cookie dough, the less likely it is to crack when you press the well into it. If your cookie balls crack, pinch the dough back together with your fingers.
The longer you bake pecan pie thumbprint cookies, the firmer the pecan pie filling will be.
Sometimes, the filling will ooze out of the center if you haven't created a deep enough well in the cookie dough. This is totally fine.
If your pecan pie filling oozed out of the cookie's center, scrape it up and against the cookie using your spatula.

Storage Instructions:

Store pecan pie cookies in an air-tight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.
Avoid storing pecan pie cookies in the refrigerator because the chilled air causes the cookies to go stale and hardens the pecan pie filling too much.
To give cookies a freshly-baked taste, heat them in the microwave for 12 seconds.

Freezer Instructions:

To Freeze Raw Cookie Dough:
1. Scoop the dough into balls using a #30 portion scoop onto a sheetpan lined with a silicone baking mat.
2. Freeze the balls of cookie dough, uncovered, for 1 hour or until they are firm.
3. Transfer the cookie dough balls from the sheetpan to a freezer storage bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
4. To bake: arrange the frozen cookie balls on a parchment or silicone-lined sheetpan and allow them to thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes. Assemble and bake as instructed in the recipe.
To Freeze the Pecan Pie Filling:
1. Transfer the prepared pecan pie filling to a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 2 months.
2. Whip it with your mixer for 1 minute to bring it back together before using it.
To Freeze Baked Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies:
1. After baking and cooling the cookies to room temperature, transfer them to a freezer-storage bag and freeze them for up to 2 months.
2. Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature before eating.

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