Phase 1: Cream the Wet Ingredients

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. In a mixing bowl, add the 2 large egg yolks, 1 cup (170g) softened salted butter, 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract (if using), and 1 teaspoon (5ml) butter extract (if using).
3. With a hand mixer, mix together until combined.
4. Add the 1 cup (200g) powdered sweetener to the butter mixture.
5. With the hand mixer, cream together until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes).
6. The mixture should be light and fluffy with no visible butter chunks.

Pro tip: Make sure your butter is truly softened to room temperature for easy creaming. The extracts are completely optional but add extra depth of flavoUr.

Phase 2: Add the Almond Flour and Xanthan Gum

1. Sift the flour-xanthan gum mixture directly into the bowl with the wet ingredients.
2. With the hand mixer on low speed, slowly mix the flour-xanthan gum mixture into the creamed butter mixture, a little at a time.
3. Mix until you’ve incorporated all the flour.
4. The mixture will be crumbly—this is completely normal and expected.
5. Add pecan pieces and fold into dough.

Common mistake: Don’t skip the sifting step—it removes lumps and creates that signature fine, tender texture. The xanthan gum helps bind everything together for perfect cookie structure.

Phase 3: Form the Dough and Chill (The Game-Changer)

1. Put on food-safe gloves to prevent sticking (optional).
2. Using your gloved hands, pull and press the crumbly mixture together into a cohesive dough ball.  Or you can do a rough ball using a spatula (as in video)
3. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. This chilling step is essential—it firms up the butter and makes the dough easier to work with.

This is the game-changer: The 30-minute chill transforms this from a crumbly mixture into a perfectly workable dough. Don’t skip this step!

Phase 4: Shape and Bake

1. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator.
2. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll each into a ball.
3. Take a 2-inch diameter cookie cutter and place it on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
4. Put a dough ball in the cookie cutter and press down so that the dough presses against the edges of the cookie cutter.
5. Press 1 whole pecan into the top middle of the dough so it’s submerged.
6. Lift up the cookie cutter and gently push the cookie out of the cookie cutter.
7. Repeat for all dough balls, leaving about 2 inches of space between cookies. (They will flatten and expand in the oven.)
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are browned and cookies are golden.
9. The cookies will firm up as they cool—don’t worry if they seem soft when you first remove them.
10. When they have cooled enough to not crumble, set the cookies on a wire rack to continue cooling.

Shaping Options:

• Option 1 (12 large cookies): Use a 2-inch cookie cutter as described above
• Option 2 (24 smaller cookies): Divide dough into 24 portions and use a smaller cookie cutter, following the same method
• Option 3 (24 fork-pressed cookies): Divide dough into 24 balls, place on baking sheet, press down with a fork, and top with almond pieces (no cookie cutter needed)

Pay close attention to this next part: Placing the cookie cutter on the parchment FIRST, then pressing the dough ball inside creates perfectly uniform rounds with clean edges. Pressing the almonds so they’re half submerged prevents them from falling off during baking. If you’re using these cookies as a base for cheesecake, bake them for the full 20 minutes so the edges are firm and they’re completely browned.