Buttered Pecans: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Toast pecans (+ extras for topping, if desired) for 4-5 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Remove pecans immediately from pan onto a cutting board. Set pan aside to re-use later. Allow nuts to cool slightly and then chop them into medium-small pieces. (Make sure to set aside nuts for topping if you decided to toast those too.)

Use a paper towel to gently wipe away any milk solids left behind in the pan from the buttered nuts, so that you don’t end up with any burnt, bitter specks. Set pan aside.

Cookie Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

Using the same pan as the nuts, *melt the butter for the cookie dough and continue to cook it over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until it foams and the milky whiteness turns brown and sinks to the bottom of the pan. Do not step away, but watch the butter closely as it browns, because it can burn easily!

Once the butter is nice and golden brown, remove it from the heat and immediately pour it into a heatproof (stainless steel) mixing bowl to stop it from cooking further.

Add the sugars to the melted butter and mix well. Add the vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just combined. Fold in the flour mixture and chopped butter pecans, until just incorporated.

CHILL the bowl of cookie dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or the freezer for 15 minutes -- until the dough will hold its shape when scooped.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large sheet tray with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Scoop cookie dough with a #30 scoop (about 2 Tablespoons) onto the prepared baking sheet a couple inches apart. Firmly press a pecan half on top of each dough ball. Keep extra dough refrigerated while baking the first tray.

Bake at 350˚F for 9-10 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately dust with extra granulated sugar for decoration, if desired. Allow cookies to rest for 2-3 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough. Store cookies in an airtight container up to 3 days.