This shortbread variation has the added sweetness of pecans and the cornstarch keeps them light.

Ingredients: 

1. 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2. ½ cup sugar
3. ¼ cup cornstarch
4. 4 teaspoons grated lemon zest
5. ¼ teaspoon salt
6. ¾ cup unsalted butter,
7. chilled, cut into ½ inch pieces
8. ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
9. 1 cup pecans

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper 

1. In a food processor with metal blade, combine flour, sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, and salt.
2. Process briefly until well mixed.
3. Add the butter and vanilla and pulse the mixture until it resembles a fine meal.
4. Add pecans and process until finely chopped.
5. Gather dough and roll out to a disk 3/16” thick between two sheets of wax paper.
6. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies saving scraps.
7. Gather up scraps and roll cookies out again.
8. Bake until just beginning to color, about 13 minutes.
9. Transfer baking sheets to racks and cool for about 5 minutes.
10. Transfer cookies to continue cooling on racks.

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.