Instructions

1. Place the butter in a medium skillet or saucepan. Turn the heat to medium low, and cook the butter, stirring often until it is completely melted. It will begin to bubble, and turn golden brown and smell nutty and caramelized. This should take about 5 minutes. Pour the browned butter into a heatproof bowl, set aside and allow to cool completely.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cool butter, powdered sugar, and the salt. Beat with the paddle attachment until thoroughly combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
3. Add the unbleached flour and ¾ of a cup of the toasted chopped pecans to the bowl. Mix on low speed until combined and the dough just comes together (Reserve the remaining ¼ cup of pecans for the top).
4. Pour the dough out onto your work surface. With lightly floured hands, bring the dough together into a ball. Wrap the dough tightly into a large piece of plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Make the maple glaze: In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, maple syrup, water, maple extract, and kosher salt. Whisk well to combine, until the glaze is smooth, and there are no lumps of powdered sugar.
7. Flour your work surface, and begin rolling the dough out into a large circle, until it is ⅓” thick. Use a 2” cookie cutter to stamp out as many cookies as possible. Re-roll the scraps, and stamp out more cookies.
8. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet back into the fridge for 10 minutes to let the cookies firm up. This will ensure that the cookies hold their shape when baked.
9. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until the edges are just slightly golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool.
10. Dip half of the cookies into the glaze, and sprinkle the remaining chopped pecans on top of the cookies. Allow the glaze to set for about 30 minutes, then serve.