¾ cup (85 grams) chopped pecans*, toasted and cooled
2¼ cups (281 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) kosher salt
Cherry Buttercream (recipe follows)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
In the work bowl of a food processor, place pecans and ¼ cup (31 grams) flour; pulse until ground. Add salt and remaining 2 cups (250 grams) flour; pulse to combine. With mixer on low speed, gradually add pecan mixture to butter mixture, beating until combined.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls (about 13 grams), and place 2 inches apart on prepared pans. Using your thumb or a ¼ teaspoon, gently make an indentation in center of each ball.
Bake until bottoms are golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from oven, and press down centers again. Let cool on pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks. Place Cherry Buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a medium open star tip (Wilton #32). Pipe Cherry Buttercream into center of each cookie.
Notes
* We used Sunnyland Farms Raw Georgia Pecan Halves
Recipe by Bake from Scratch at https://bakefromscratch.com/pecan-thumbprint-cookies-cherry-buttercream/