Pecan Cookies

It wasn't until I was all finished baking that I realized I've made these before. In fact, this is probably the same recipe I use for my favorite Christmas cookie (Russian Tea Cakes). Honestly, how I missed that I will never know, but what is done is done and I get a little Christmas in August.

Also I want to start something new. I love music nearly as much as I love cooking, so I will add a sound track for each recipe. Today's recipe sound track is the album An Airplane Carried Me to Bed by Sky Sailing. If the singer sounds familar its because its the same person who does the Owl City albums. Mmmm Owl City. But we'll listen to them another time.

Since this recipe does call for pecans, if you don't already have chopped nuts go ahead and do that now. And by "chop" I mean pull out the rolling pin and show those nuts who's boss.

Just keep rolling until they get to a size you like. I like mine a little bigger, but you may just want crumbs. Either way, still tasty.

Now lets get to the hard stuff. As I said before with the Nutella cookies, I always melt my butter. I just think it gives cookies a better flavor, and in this case adds a little more 'moisture' to the dough.

Add your sugar and vanilla and beat until well mixed. If you melt your butter you won't get that fluffy look to it but don't worry.

 Add the flour and mix until ... well well mixed (lol, see what I did there?)

Then add your pecans and fold into the dough.

Now here is where I really deviated from the recipe. It says to roll into 2 1/2 inch logs and create a crescent shape. However, they gave me mold-able dough so I had to do something else...

Yeah I made stars to go with my crescent moons, and little astronaut people... and one rocket. I mean, they had to get out there somehow right?

Now, I thought I would try something different, so instead of coating them in powdered sugar I wanted to try cinnamon sugar.

And the problem wasn't that it wasn't good, (I would certainly add cinnamon to the dough the next time I made it) but that it didn't stick.

I even put it on while the cookies were warm hoping the sugar would adhere to the warm surface. But alas, no luck. So I tapped off the sugar and pulled out the powdered sugar and gave them a good shacking in a zip lock bag. At least that worked!

Anyway, delicious cookies either way.


Pecan Cookies

Preheat oven to 325F

1 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Cup Finely Chopped Pecans
Confectioner's (powdered) Sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add in flour and when fully mixed stir in pecans.

Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 2 1/2 inch logs (that doesn't work when your making a space family) and shape into crescents. Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 325F for 20-22 minutes or until set and bottoms are lightly browned. Let stand 2-3 minutes before placing on wire racks to cool. Dust with (or toss in a zip log back full of) confectioners sugar before serving.

ENJOY!