Gluten-Free Browned Butter Pecan Cookies – Grain Free and Refined Sugar Free

Instructions

For Soaking and Drying the Nuts

1. Note: Raw or roasted pecans can be substituted for crispy nuts if you are short on time, but my recommendation is to properly prepare them by soaking and drying ahead of time.
2. Place the raw pecans and salt in a large bowl. Cover the nuts with fresh water and let them soak overnight.
3. The next day drain the nuts and rinse them well. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and dry them in the lowest oven temperature setting available. I have a 3-hour warm cycle on my oven that is about 140°F. It takes three to four cycles to completely dry the nuts. If the lowest temperature on your oven is 175°F then watch closely and turn the nuts often for 6 to 8 hours or until completely dry. The nuts can also be dried gently in a food dehydrator.

For the Cookie Dough

1. Brown the butter over medium-low heat until all the milk solids are a caramelized medium brown color. Remove the butter to a shallow dish and place it in the refrigerator to cool.
2. Place the nuts, almond flour, coconut flour, coconut sugar, and baking powder in your food processor. ONLY add salt (1/2 teaspoon) if the nuts were NOT soaked or salted.
3. Pulse the nuts and other dry ingredients together until they are finely ground.
4. Add the butter and eggs and pulse the dough just until it comes together in a smooth, well-incorporated dough ball.
5. Cut a long sheet of parchment paper and turn the dough out onto the parchment. Shape the dough into a 12-inch log and roll the parchment around the log. Twist the ends to form a tight cylinder.
6. Refrigerate the dough until completely chilled, at least 2 hours.

Baking the Cookies

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Unroll the dough and cut it into twenty-four 1/2-inch coins. Evenly place 12 coins of dough on each cookie sheet.
4. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 13 to 15 minutes. 14 minutes was perfect for my oven.
5. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.

For Ice Cream Sandwiches

1. Follow the directions for making my raw vanilla bean ice cream.
2. Cut the cookie dough thinner, into 1/4-inch coins before baking. Cut two coins per sandwich. If you want to make 12 ice cream sandwiches cut 24 coins. Bake them 10 to 12 minutes instead of the full 14 minutes.
3. Once the cookies are cool, add a 2-ounce scoop of ice cream to the underside of one cookie and top it with a second cookie. Smoosh the cookies together just until the ice cream bulges from the sides. Place the sandwiches into a freezer-safe container and freeze the sandwiches until you are ready to serve them!