Pecan Crescents

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Pecan-Crescents
Sift the powdered sugar for these cookies after measuring, but sift the flour before measuring.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pecan halves, toasted
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • Powdered sugar

Preparation

  1. Pulse pecans in a food processor until they are coarse like sand.
    Beat butter and 3/4 cup powdered sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Stir in vanilla and ground pecans. Gradually add flour, beating until a soft dough forms. Beat at low speed just until combined. Cover and chill 1 hour.
    Divide dough into 5 portions; divide each portion into 12 pieces. Roll dough pieces into 2-inch logs, curving ends to form crescents. Place on ungreased baking sheets.
  2. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar. Cool completely on wire racks.

Crispy Praline Cookies

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Crispy-Praline-Cookies
Let the butter sit at room temperature for several hours, or soften it in the microwave at HIGH for 10 to 20 seconds (do not melt).

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Stir together all ingredients in a large bowl, blending well.
  2. Drop cookie dough by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
  3. Bake at 350° for 13 to 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute; remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Crispy Praline-Chocolate Chip Cookies: Add 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels; bake as directed.

Basil-Pecan Sandies

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Basil-Pecan-Sandies

Ingredients

  • 5 fresh cinnamon basil leaves*
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup butter or margarine
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Process basil and sugar in a blender or food processor until basil is minced.
  2. Melt butter in a large saucepan; add basil mixture, flour, salt, and cinnamon.
  3. Stir in chopped pecans and vanilla; remove from heat.
  4. Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls onto ungreased baking sheets; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness with bottom of a large glass.
  5. Bake cookies at 300° for 40 minutes or until golden. Remove to wire racks to cool.

*Regular basil may be substituted; increase ground cinnamon to 1 teaspoon.

Maple-Pecan Biscotti

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A maple syrup-laced powdered sugar drizzle puts a sweet spin on these hearty cookies.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup toasted chopped pecans
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 1 recipe Maple Drizzle (see recipe below)

Preparation

  1. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour and the 1 cup toasted chopped pecans.
  2. Divide dough in half. If necessary, cover and chill for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
  3. Lightly grease a cookie sheet; set aside.
  4. Shape each half of dough into a 9-inch-long loaf. Place 4 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Flatten loaves slightly. Sprinkle with the 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans; press into tops of loaves. Flatten loaves to about 3 inches wide.
  5. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool loaves on cookie sheet on a wire rack for 1 hour. Transfer to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut each loaf diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place slices, cut sides down, on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  6. Bake in a 325 degree F oven for 8 minutes. Turn slices over; bake for 8 to 10 minutes more or until dry and crisp. Transfer to a wire rack; cool. Drizzle with Maple Drizzle. Makes about 24 cookies.

Maple Drizzle: In a small mixing bowl stir together 1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Stir in additional maple syrup (4 to 5 tablespoons) to make icing of drizzling consistency.

Pecan Squares

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Falling somewhere between a pie and a cookie, this pastry tops a crisp crust with a thick layer of pecans. The sweet pecan filling offers a delicious variation on the pecan pie-perfect for dessert, lunch, or an afternoon snack.

Ingredients

  • 18 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup light-brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup light-brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 6 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) pecan halves
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Place rack in center of oven. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. To make the crust: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add salt, and mix to combine.
  4. Add flour 1 cup at a time, on medium speed, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition. Continue mixing until the dough begins to come together in large clumps.
  5. Press dough about 1/4-inch thick into a 9-by-13-by-1-inch baking pan. Prick the pastry with the tines of a fork. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
  6. Reduce oven to 325 degrees.
  7. To make the filling: Place butter, brown sugar, honey, granulated sugar, heavy cream, and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; stir in nuts and vanilla.
  8. Pour filling onto the cooled crust. Bake until filling bubbles, 15 to 20 minutes.
  9. Carefully transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Run a paring knife around edges of the pan, and invert onto cooling rack, leaving the pastry on the rack. Invert rack with pastry onto a cutting board, leaving the pastry on the board, filling side up. Use a sharp knife to cut into 1-by-3-inch bars.
  11. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Makes about 32 cookies.

Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, and Pecan Cookies

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These easy drop cookies are crisp on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. Chocolate minichips disperse better in the batter, but you can use regular chips.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 51/2 ounces)
  • 1 cup regular oats
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
  • 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate minichips

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt), stirring with a whisk; set aside.
  3. Place sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg; beat until blended. Gradually add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Stir in pecans and minichips. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks

Yield: 3 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)