orange-pecan brown sugar cookies

“Gosh, does this house smell good,” I always remark when I bake these cookies. That is what happens when butter and brown sugar bake together. With a baking scent that good, you can imagine the taste these cookies have. Because cornstarch is used in place of some of the flour, they have an especially tender texture.

makes 16 cookies cookie making 20 minutes cookie baking 350 degrees, two baking sheets for about 20 minutes each

cups unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ cup cornstarch

½ teaspoon salt

cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

cups packed dark brown sugar

4 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

cups (about 10 ounces) finely chopped pecans

Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, cornstarch, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Mix in the orange zest, vanilla, and 1½ cups of the pecans until blended, about 1 minute. On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing just until it is completely incorporated.

Using an ice cream scoop or measuring cup with a ¼-cup capacity, scoop out portions of dough. Roll each one between the palms of your hands into a smooth ball, flatten it into a 3½- inch circle, and place the cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Sprinkle the remaining pecans over the centers of the cookies, pressing them gently into the dough.

Bake one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm when gently touched and the bottoms are lightly browned, about 20 minutes (the color change during baking is subtle; the unbaked dough is light brown and the baked cookie tops and bottoms will be a medium brown). The cookies will spread quite a bit and be about 4½ inches in diameter after baking. Cool the cookies for 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool thoroughly. The cookies will become crisp as they cool.

Dust the cookies lightly with powdered sugar, if desired. The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 5 days.