Toasted Pecan Shortbread Cookies: these are an outstanding winning recipe from the Wisconsin State Fair, created by Joan Giesfeldt. They are an all-time-favorite from our archives, winning 1st place a decade ago, 2014.

They are an impressive cookie, and Joan shared a few tips about preparing them:

Toast the pecans ahead of time to bring out their nutty aroma and flavor. (Note: Browning the butter for the filling is going to boost that nuttiness also.)

For the vanilla ingredient, Joan says she prefers a Madagascar version. She also used an ultra-fine baker’s sugar for sprinkling on the top half of the cookie.

With the richness of the dough, her other tip is to handle the dough as little as possible once it comes out of the freezer. The cookies will keep their form a bit better.

When we test ran these toasted pecan shortbread cookies, they were a favorite among our tasters. Let’s just say one off them said they were magical!

Cookie lovers and baking fans: take the time to bake a batch of these sooner rather than later. They are totally worth your time!

-Cyndi

P.S. Looking for more Wisconsin winning recipes? Don’t miss this one, yet another all-time favorite.