Night Baking

http://nightbaking.blogspot.com/2010/09/salty-sweet-butter-pecan-cookies.html

Salty-Sweet Butter Pecan Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen 3" cookies

1 1/3 cups (5 ounces) pecan halves

2/3 cup (4 2/3 ounces) light brown sugar, firmly packed

2/3 cup (4 2/3 ounces) granulated sugar

1 stick butter

1/2 cup (3 1/4 ounces) vegetable shortening

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon butterscotch, vanilla-butternut, or butter-rum flavor (or omit and increase vanilla to 1 tablespoon)

1 teaspoon vinegar, cider or white

1 large egg

2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) flour

1 1/3 cups (8 ounces) butterscotch chips

1/3 cup (2 3/8 ounces) granulated sugar mixed with 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons table salt (not kosher salt, which is too coarse for this), for topping*

*If you're making smaller (teaspoon cookie scoop-sized) cookies, increase the coating to 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar mixed with 1 3/4 to 2 teaspoons salt.

Place the pecans in a single layer in a pan, and toast till they've darkened a bit and smell toasty, about 5-8 minutes. You will start to smell them toasting. Set them aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the sugars, butter, shortening, salt, espresso powder, baking soda, vanilla, flavor, and vinegar, beating until smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg, again beating until smooth. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl, and then mix in the flour. Gently stir in the chips and toasted nuts. Try not to break up the nuts.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 to 5 hours; preferably overnight. Cookie dough refrigerated for 3 1/2 to 4 hours will spread moderately; chilled overnight, it will spread much less.

When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375F. Mix the 1/3 cup sugar and salt for the coating in a bowl. Scoop 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" balls of dough and roll them in the sugar/salt mixture to coat. Transfer these to cookie sheets lined with a silpat or parchment leaving 2" between them on all sides; they'll spread quite a bit.

Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes — less time for smaller cookies, more for larger ones. Their edges will be chestnut brown and their tops a lighter golden brown. (You may need to add 30 seconds to 1 minute to those baking times for dough that's been refrigerated, but it's most important just to keep an eye on them and see what your oven does.) Remove them from the oven, and cool on the pan till they've set enough to move without breaking, then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.

As with many drop cookies, the baked cookies do very nicely in the freezer, but let them come back to room temperature before you eat them.