Orange Pecan Gems

These are cake-mix shortcut cookies at their best, the kind of recipe that delivers three dozen tender, golden cookies with 15 minutes of active work. Orange cake mix pulls double duty as the dry base and the citrus flavor, yogurt brings the tang and moisture, and a generous cup of chopped pecans in the batter plus a pecan half pressed on top delivers crunch on every bite.

Don’t apologize for using boxed mix. The results speak for themselves.

Cake-mix cookie batter is softer than a traditional drop cookie dough, which is why the teaspoonful portions spread into flat rounds instead of staying domed. Space them a full 2 inches apart, the spread is real.

Yogurt is the unsung ingredient. It adds tangy moisture that keeps the cookies tender for days rather than drying out overnight like many cake-mix cookies do.

Pressing a pecan half into the center of each cookie before baking is both practical (secures the nut) and presentational (every cookie looks professionally finished). Bake 11 to 13 minutes and pull while the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft.

One-minute rest on the sheet before transferring firms them up enough to move without breaking.

Kitchen Tips

• Use low-fat, not fat-free, yogurt, fat-free versions have stabilizers that change the texture
• Toast the chopped pecans at 325°F (160°C) for 5 minutes before mixing for deeper, nuttier flavor
• Line baking sheets with parchment, these cookies stick surprisingly hard to greased pans once cooled
• Store in a tin with a piece of bread to keep them soft for a week

Variations

• Swap orange cake mix for lemon or strawberry for different flavor profiles
• Add 1 teaspoon of orange zest from a fresh orange to intensify the citrus
• Dip half of each cooled cookie in dark chocolate for a fancier finish