Pecan Squares

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Peanut-Butter-Toffee-Turtle-Cookies
These turtle cookies have every indulgent flavor we could pack in a recipe: chocolate, peanut butter, caramel, and toffee. You’re already baking a batch, aren’t you?

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose baking mix
  • 2/3 cup almond toffee bits
  • 2/3 cup coarsely chopped peanuts
  • 2/3 cup milk chocolate morsels
  • 10 ounce vanilla caramels
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup milk chocolate morsels, melted

Preparation

TIP: The chocolate drizzle on the cookies will harden as it cools.

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add egg, beating until blended. Add baking mix, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in toffee bits, chopped peanuts, and 2/3 cup chocolate morsels.
  2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets; flatten dough with hand.
  3. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool cookies on baking sheets 1 minute; remove cookies to wire racks.
  4. Microwave caramels and 2 tablespoons cream in a glass bowl at HIGH 1 minute; stir. Continue to microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring until caramels melt and mixture is smooth; add remaining cream, if necessary. Stir in vanilla. Spoon caramel mixture evenly onto tops of cookies; drizzle evenly with melted chocolate.

Pecan Meltaways

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Pecan Meltaways
These sugared nut-filled balls are a tradition of ours at Christmastime. They make an attractive addition to a plate of holiday cookies…and they melt in your mouth!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans
  • Additional confectioners’ sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in pecans. Refrigerate until chilled.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°. Roll into 1-in. balls and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Roll warm cookies in additional confectioners’ sugar; cool completely on wire racks. Roll cooled cookies again in confectioners’ sugar.

Yield: 4 dozen.

Mudslide Brownies

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Mudslide-Brownies
Yummy ingredients from the popular drink–chocolate, espresso, and whipping cream–make a splash in these decadent bars filled with chopped pecans and garnished wtih chocolate-covered espresso beans.

Ingredients

  • 6 (1-oz.) unsweetened chocolate baking squares
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 4 teaspoons espresso powder, divided (we tested with Café Bustello)
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 tsp. coffee liqueur, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
  • 2 tablespoons whipping cream or half-and-half
  • 2 tablespoons vodka
  • 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • Garnish: chocolate-covered espresso coffee beans, chopped

Preparation

  1. Melt 4 chocolate baking squares and 1/2 cup butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and transfer to a large bowl. Add sugars; stir well. Stir in eggs, 2 teaspoon espresso powder, and 2 teaspoon coffee liqueur. Add flour and salt, stirring until blended. Stir in pecans.
  2. Spread batter into a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined 13″ x 9″ pan (or see note). Bake at 325° for 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies appear set on top. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
  3. Melt remaining 2 chocolate baking squares and 2 Tbsp. butter in heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in remaining 2 tsp. espresso powder, whipping cream, vodka, and remaining 2 Tbsp. coffee liqueur. Add enough powdered sugar to make a good spreading consistency, beating at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread frosting over cooled brownies; garnish, if desired. Let stand until frosting is set. Use foil to lift uncut brownies out of the pan. Cut into bars to serve.

Note: For really thick, showy brownies, we baked these in an 11″ x 7″ pan at 325° for 26 to 28 minutes.
Note:

If you prefer not to add any alcohol to this dessert, you can use sweetened coffee Instead of the coffee liqueur and omit the vokda.

Double Chocolate Brownies With Caramel Frosting

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Double-Chocolate-Brownies-with-Caramel-Frosting

Ingredients

  • 2 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
  • 2 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans
  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 12 large marshmallows
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preparation

  1. Microwave chocolate squares in a small microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) for 30-second intervals until melted (about 1 1/2 minutes total time). Stir chocolate until smooth.
  2. Beat 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.
  3. Add flour and salt, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla, 1/2 cup pecans, and 1/2 cup chocolate morsels. Spread batter into a greased and floured 13- x 9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup pecans and 1/4 cup chocolate morsels.
  4. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until set. Cool completely on a wire rack.
  5. Melt 3/4 cup butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir in 2 cups sugar, buttermilk, marshmallows, corn syrup, and baking soda. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 234° (soft-ball stage). Remove from heat, and pour mixture immediately into a large mixing bowl. Beat mixture with an electric mixer at high speed 5 minutes or until mixture thickens and begins to lose its gloss. Spread Caramel Frosting evenly over brownies.

[B “Note:”] Freeze brownies in an airtight container up to 1 month.

Poisoned Pecan Squares

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Poisoned-Pecan-Squares
…just kidding, my little pretty!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ⅔ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon butter, divided
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 3 tablespoons whipping cream
  • 3 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped

Preparation

  1. Sift together flour and powdered sugar. Cut in 3/4 cup softened butter using a pastry blender or fork just until mixture resembles coarse crumbs meal. Pat mixture on bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a lightly greased 13-inch by 9-inch baking pan.
  2. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden. Cool. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring brown sugar, honey, 2/3 cup butter, and whipping cream to a boil. Stir in pecans and pour into prepared crust.
  3. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 2-inch squares.

Makes about 28 squares.

Bouchon Bakery Pecan Sandies

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Bouchon-Bakery-Pecan-Sandies
Thomas Keller and Sebastien Rouxel, co-authors of the Bouchon Bakery cookbook, popped into our Test Kitchen and treated us to a batch of homemade Pecan Sandies. The book is a wonderful collection of all-American desserts and classic French pastries, laced with sweet anecdotes from Keller. The buttery, crumbly Pecan Sandies were one of Keller’s mother’s favorite treats (the Keebler variety, to be exact).

We couldn’t help but hit up the French Laundry chefs for a few baking tips while they were here. Here’s what they harped on:

  • Although it may seem easier to measure with measuring cups and spoons, measuring by weight is far more accurate. That’s why their cookbook includes gram measurements for all ingredients (in addition to cup and spoon measurements). Inexpensive scales are very accurate and will transform your baking from good to great. Also, when you use a scale, it turns a baking recipe into a one bowl recipe! No need to fuss with measuring cups or spoons.
  • Don’t lay cookies on a baking sheet in straight lines; instead, lay them in diagonal lines. This way, hot air will fully surround each cookie for more even baking.
  • Use heavy baking sheets. Thin, flimsy sheets are don’t conduct heat evenly and can lead to inconsistent results.

Pecan Sandies

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans (80 grams)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (170 grams)
3/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons powdered sugar (90 grams)

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Toss together flour and pecans in a medium bowl.
  2. Beat butter at medium-low speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar, and beat 2 minutes or until fluffy, stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Add the flour mixture, and beat at low speed 30 seconds or just until combined.
  3. Shape dough into 2-inch balls; place 1 ½ inches apart on 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Flatten each ball into a disk.
  4. Bake at 350° for 22 to 25 minutes or until light golden, placing 1 baking sheet on oven rack one-third down from top and 1 baking sheet on oven rack one-third up from bottom.
  5. Cool on baking sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool completely (about 15 minutes). Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Recipe adapted from the Bouchon Bakery cookbook.