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!

Nutella Filled Cookies

My insparation for these cookies were these cookies but (and I know its a sin) I just don't like that much chocolate. Chocolate cookies, with chocolate chips, AND Nutella. No thank you. I will come up with something on my own.

So for my first attempt I wanted to use a chocolate chip cookie dough recipe. And I have a great soft chewy cookie recipe (will follow) that never fails me. I just didn't add any chocolate chips, but you of course are more than welcome.

So, I apologize, I was so excited about making these cookies, I only got one picture of the dough. I just so you my, lovely readers know, I always always melt my butter. I think it gives the cookies just a little better flavor.

And I swear, the pictures will get better.

The cookie dough of course is the easy part. Its filling the cookies soft gooey center that takes time. First you want to take a good chunk of dough and flatten it out

Then you add a big heaping spoonful of sweet Nutella goodness to the center.

Then closer 'er up, making sure there are no holes when you place it on the cookie sheet. If there was I just used some dough from the bowl and sealed it right up.

The cookies are going to be big, but that's okay, who doesn't like a big cookie anyway? Your going to put them in the oven at 350F for 13-16 minutes. Mine were cooked at about 14 minutes.

Tada! Delicious cookies!

Actually, they didn't turn out anything like the cookies pictured in the other recipe. But in these the Nutella took the place of chocolate chips and added just a hint of hazel to the whole thing. I may never use chocolate chips agains.

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
3/4 Cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Cup light corn syrup (Gonna be honest, I don't add this. And I've never had a problem with the cookies or the taste.)
1 Egg
2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 tea spoon salt (if you like things sweet and salty use sea salt, it comes out great)
1 package chocolate chips (which I didn't add for this recipe, and even if I did I only use about a cup and a half)

Preheat oven to 350F
In a Large bowl beat butter brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add corn syrup, egg, and vanilla, beat well. Stir together flour baking soda and salt and then gradually add to the butter mixture beating until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips (if you used them).

Roll dough into a ball and flatten out, it will be about the size of your palm. Take a spoonful of Nutella and drop into the middle of the dough and then fold over and squeeze shut. Place on cookie sheet and cover any holes that may have appeared. Bake for 13-16 minutes or until edges are brown and a tooth pick comes out clean (yes, it even came out clean when I stabbed a big bubbly chunk of Nutella).

ENJOY!