Use your electric mixer to beat the butter for a quick minute, then add in both sugars and beat again until fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla then scrape down the sides again.  Whisk together the flour, salt, cornstarch and baking soda in a separate bowl and then on low speed, slowly add all of the dry ingredients to the wet mix and mix until there’s no trace of flour.  Add the pecans and mix on low for several seconds – the dough will be thick!

Use a 1 tablespoon+ sized cookie scoop to quickly shape all of the dough into balls, roll in sugar (while they’re still soft-ish) and then place on a small baking sheet or platter, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours.  If you’re making these way ahead, then they should be out of the fridge for 30 minutes or so prior to being popped in the oven.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 and line a couple of large baking sheets with parchment.  Place the cookies a couple of inches apart and bake for 11 to 13 minutes, depending on how cold they are.  They should be set and have lightly golden edges.  As soon as they come out of the oven, sprinkle with some flaky salt (if you wish) and then after several minutes, carefully transfer to a rack to cool completely.