Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies

Tis' the season! I'm back to blogging about my favorite thing to bake: cookies. I bake several different types of cookies each year to share with family and friends throughout the holiday season. The first one on deck this year is the brown sugar pecan cookie. It is a buttery, shortbread-like cookie with the warmth and sweetness only pecans and brown sugar can provide.

I found this recipe on Pinterest and since it seemed too easy to be true, I had to try it. It really is as easy as it seems, especially after I tweaked the instructions. Here's what I learned from making this recipe:

1. Do not preheat the oven until you are ready to bake. The original recipe instructions started like most recipes - preheating the oven. However, after you mix the dough you are to cover and let it chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. I set a timer for 15 minutes once the dough was chilling and preheated my oven during the last 15 minutes of that process.

2. I used what milk I had, and all was fine. In the original recipe the frosting ingredients called for half and half and I forgot to buy that at the grocery store. I used a 1/2 cup of 2% milk instead and the frosting was still delicious. I'm sure the half and half makes the frosting taste richer, but the "morale" of this post is use what you have.

3. When you are ready to frost, make it. Speaking of frosting, I recommend that you do not make it in advance. It cools and thickens quickly making it difficulty to dip the cookies for even frosting. Wait until you are ready to frost all your cookies at the same time.

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Brown Sugar Pecan Cookie

Cookie Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Frosting Ingredients:

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup milk (or half and half)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Pecan halves (or chopped pecans) for topping

Yield: 4 Dozen Prep Time: 45 minutes Bake Time: 10 minutes

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Add sugars and beat until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.

2. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix well. Stir in chopped pecans. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet (I always use a silicon mat, too). Bake for 10 minutes.

5. Cool 2 minutes on pan and remove to wire racks. Cool completely before frosting.

6. To Make the Frosting: Combine brown sugar and milk in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Add 1 cup powdered sugar in 1/4 cup increments and beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Consistency will seem thin but will thicken as it cools. If frosting seems too thin, add enough of the remaining powdered sugar to desired consistency.

7. To frost, dip or spread about 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar frosting on each cookie and top with a pecan half or chopped pecans. Let the frosting set up for 20 minutes.

8. Enjoy!

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