- 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature (James Beard always preferred Crisco)
- 1¼ cups packed dark brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.
- Combine the butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl and beat for a few seconds. Add the sugar and beat until creamy. Add the egg, dry milk, and vanilla and beat until light.
- Stir the flour, baking soda, and salt with a fork to mix and lighten. Add to the sugar-butter mixture and blend. Stir in the pecans and mix well.
- Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheets. Dip the bottom of a glass 3 inches in diameter into flour and use it to press the dough down in a circle of the same dimension. If the dough sticks a little as you lift off the glass, scrape it from the glass and just pat any bits back into the circle of dough to make it even and neatly round. Dip the glass into the flour again after each pressing.
- Bake the cookies for 7 to 10 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and gently lift the cookies onto a rack. Let cool and store in an airtight container.
- Bake the cookies for 7 to 10 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and gently lift the cookies onto a rack. Let cool and store in an airtight container.