In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and sugar. Beat for 3 minutes on medium high speed until well combined. Scrape the bowl and beat again for another minute.
Add the maple syrup and vanilla. Beat 60 seconds to combine.
Turn your mixer to the lowest setting. Add the salt and the flour.
When about half of the flour has been incorporated, add in the pecans.
Continue to stir until all of the flour is incorporated.
Remove the bowl from the mixer. Scrape down the bowl and use a spatula to combine any remaining flour bits into the dough.
Turn your dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap the dough and then press it into a disc of even thickness. It should be about an inch thick.
Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the cold dough from the refrigerator and place onto a sheet of parchment paper. You do NOT need to flour the parchment paper.
Use a rolling pin to roll out your dough to ¼" thick.
Using a circle cookie cutter (mine is about 2 ½" in diameter), cut out your dough. You can use any shape cookie cutter you like.
If the dough sticks to the parchment underneath, simple use an offset spatula to loosen it. Move the cut out shapes to your prepared baking sheet. Leave only an inch between cookies, they will not spread.
Bake for 12 minutes, remove from oven and cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack.