Pecan Pie Cookies

Buttery and Delicious!

If you like pecan pie, you'll love these little gems!   These are another new addition to the cookie tray this year.  I know, I can't help myself, I just love trying new cookie recipes.

The recipe I used is from the Land O Lakes website, but I did make a couple of slight revisions, one being the amount of flour.  It called for only 2 cups, but I had to add another 1/4 cup to be able to roll them easily.  I think they would have flattened out had I not done that.  

The second thing was to use a smaller cookie scoop (the smallest) to make them for the Christmas cookie tray.  I ended up with 44 cookies, instead of the 2 dozen it listed, and they are actually still a nice size cookie.

Oh, and did I tell you, they are so easy to make!  

Ingredients:

Cookie:
1 cup light brown sugar, packed firmly
3/4 cup butter
1 egg, large
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
2-2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (it called for 2 cups, so stop there first.  But I needed and extra 1/4 cup to get "rolling" consistency)


Filling:
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed firmly
1/4 cup heavy or whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 350'F.

Combine all cookie ingredients except flour and baking powder in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed until creamy.  Add flour and baking powder; beat at low speed until well mixed.

Shape dough int 1 1/4" balls.  Place 2 inches apart onto lightly greased cookie sheets.  Make indentation in each cookie with thumb; rotate thumb to hollow out slightly.

Combine all filling ingredients in bowl; fill each cookie with 1 round teaspoon filling.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned (I always check them at 8 minutes, then go 1 minute more at a time, if necessary).  

Cool one minute on cookie sheets before removing to cooling rack. (If you move them too quickly they fall apart - that's the one I tested, heehee).  

Be encouraged!

"Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins."   -Acts 5:31

White Chocolate Macadamia Cranberry Dreams

• A dream of a cookie!

It's just two weeks until Christmas 2016 and I'm actually ahead of myself this year.  No, I can't explain it...just being very thankful.   I've already made several of the family's favorite cookies.  So, "yay for me!"  Haha!

Sometimes the "hundreds" of cookie recipes in my file just aren't enough, so I search for something new to add.  I'm so glad I found this yummy recipe on "All Recipes", it's practically perfect. They're soft, buttery and delicious!

I made them with the small cookie scoop and they're just right for the cookie tray, but if I were just making these, I'd make them regular size and bake them 12-14 minutes.  I'm thinking this way because I'm sure I don't want to wait until next Christmas to make these again.  

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt

1. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
2. 
   

1 cup softened butter (DO NOT USE SHORTENING)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 tsp. vanilla

      Cream together butter and sugars; add slightly beaten eggs and vanilla.  Mix well.

1 cup white chocolate baking chips
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup dried cranberries

      Blend in white chocolate baking chips, chopped macadamia nuts and dried cranberries.
      Add flour mixture and blend until just mixed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 

Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet by small scoop or rounded teaspoon. 

Bake for 10 minutes or just until set...do not over-bake.

Remove from oven and let cool.  Cookies will sink slightly.

"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child."   -Luke 2:4-5