This recipe makes a lot of cookies, so you can also bake part of them and save the rest of the chilled dough for later in the week!! It is also a great holiday recipe because they travel well and they are always a hit at cookie exchanges.
2 cups butter (no substitutions) room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract (see note)
4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the room temperature butter, sugar, salt and extracts until the mixture is light and fluffy (takes a few minutes and looks sort of like whipped cream when you are done).
Add the flour, one cup at a time, until well mixed. The dough will seem VERY thick, so a stand mixer works best but it isn't absolutely necessary. You will know you have mixed it enough when the cookie dough starts to come away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
Divide the dough into 4 logs about 2" in diameter. Roll the logs in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for about an hour (or up to several days).
NOTE: You will not taste the coconut extract in the final cookie, but it lends a wonderful "background" flavor that is reminiscent of those great Royal Dansk Danish butter cookies that come in round tins at Christmas time.