Coconut Pecan Shortbread

Lots of shortbread recipes out there, but this one is a bit different. The toasted coconut makes the difference. A Martha Stewart recipe that I've been doing for years and my hubby's favorite cookie. Prep time is toasting time and cooking time doesn't include the time for chilling the dough.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Yields: 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup sweetened coconut, toasted and finely chopped
• 1⁄2 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
• 1  cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 2  cups flour, plus more for rolling out dough
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. To toast the coconut and pecans: Place on separate baking pans and toast in a preheated 180 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, turning pans halfway through toasting, or until golden and fragrant. Finely chop in food processor.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter with electric mixer. Add sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, flour and salt. Mix until combined. With a wooden spoon, mix in the pecans and coconut just until combined. Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until firm, or freeze for up to a month.
3. Butter 3 cookie sheets and preheat oven to 180 degrees.
4. On a clean, lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 1/4 in thickness. Cut out as many cookies as possible and place on cookie sheets, 1 in apart. Try not to re-roll scraps too many times, as this will toughen the cookies.
5. Bake until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes, rotating baking sheets half-way through cooking.