Nana Betty's Chocolate-Pecan Cookies

• MAKE-AHEAD

Ingredients

1. 1 3/4 cups sugar
2. 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
3. 3 eggs
4. 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
5. 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6. 1/4 teaspoon salt
7. 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 375° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the sugar and shortening at medium-high speed just until blended. At medium speed, beat in the eggs, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt. Stir in the chopped pecans.
2. Working in batches, scoop heaping teaspoons of cookie batter onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the cookies are flat and dry around the edges but still look quite raw. For a cookie that's crisp all the way from the edge to the center, bake for 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then cool completely on a rack before serving.