Place the pecans into a food processor and pulse 20 times. The pecans will still have some larger pieces but mostly very fine, like crumbs. Set aside.
In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until combined.
Add the vanilla and stir it in.
Add the flour and baking powder, stir in well until combined, scrape down the sides and bottom as needed.
Finally, add the crushed pecans and stir them in until well distributed.
On a parchment paper lined sheet tray, take 2 tablespoon-sized (I use a cookie scoop for this) dollops of dough and roll them between your hands to form a ball. Place the balls onto the sheet tray closely together.
Place the cookie dough balls into the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
Preheat the oven to 350°F—line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place the cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet trays. Only work with one sheet tray at a time; place the remaining cookie dough balls back into the fridge.
Take something with a flat bottom, like a glass or measuring cup, and gently press down on the tops of the cookie dough balls until they are about ½ inch thick. Gently unstick the cookie dough ball from the bottom of the glass. I find wetting the bottom of the glass slightly before flattening each cookie helps it not to stick so badly.
Bake for 13-15 minutes until they appear dry, and the edges are beginning to slightly brown.
Allow to cool on the tray for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
Video
Notes
Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
You can purchase pecan pieces (they are the small pieces pf pecans) in the baking section of the grocery store. I think processing them yourself gives you a bit more control over the size that you want and I think leaving some of the pecan pieces a little larger adds a lot of texture to these cookies.
For a pretty presentation, you could try adding a half pecan and gently pressing it in to the tops of the cookies before baking
You could definitely add some chocolate chips or other nuts to these to send it even more over the top. Or, add a dusting of powdered sugar, powdered sugar glaze, melted chocolate, etc on top.
The trickiest part is the flattening process, sometimes the cookies want to stick but adding just a little water (like damping a kitchen towel or paper towel) and running it over the bottom of the glass is enough, really helps.
Keep at room temperature for up to 1 week, freeze for up to 3 months.