PECAN COOKIES!

 Todays recipe was inspired by National Pecan Cookie Day.  Yes, really.

I love a good cookie.  I typically dont like cookies with nuts, but for pecans I make an exception.   I love a good sandy, but these are different. They arent your typical hard shortbread cookies, they are thick and chewy with a great, buttery pecan treat.

Make sure your nuts are fresh. I actually keep my nuts in the freezer, so when I bake with them they dont get mealy.

BEFORE YOU START:  You will need to sautee your pecans in butter to brown them and really get a great flavor! 

2 cups Chopped Pecans 

2 TBSP butter.  

in a saucepan over medium heat, start to brown the butter. Add pecans and toss to coat, and keep cooking until toasted .

COOKIES:

1 cup butter, softened

2 1/4 cups AP flour, sifted.

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp good vanilla

In a bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In mixer on medium speed,  cream butter, and both sugars together. Do this for about 2 minutes or until butter and sugars are nice and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add vanilla and continue to mix for another minute. 

reduce speed a little and  Gradually add the dry mixture a little at a time, mixing well between each addition.   Fold in your toasted pecans, incorporating throughout the dough evenly. wrap and chill.

(Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

using a cookie scoop, roll dough into balls (about 3 to 4 TBSP) and place on cookie sheet about 2" apart. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cookies are lightly golden.  Any jiggle in the middle is acceptable, they will firm up a little with cooling.  Let cookies sit on cookie sheet for a few minutes so they dont rumple up when you try and remove them. Transfer to a cooking rack.

Cool completely and keep in airtight container.

 ENJOY!!

recipe 44: Ruby's Cranberry Salad (Salad)

My Great Grandmother, Ruby Broadway, passed away before I was even born.  However, through all the stories and recipes, I feel as if I know her.  She could cook, sew, raised 6 kids during the depression...all with a husband who felt the need to "ride the rails" like a hobo from time to time. She was from Chattanooga TN, and according to her kids, a wonderful woman.
This is her Cranberry Salad recipe.


THE RECIPE

1 lb fresh cranberries
1 or 2 oranges
2 small packages orange jello
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 cup chopped nuts (Walnuts work well, I like Pecans)

Grind up the oranges(with peel) and cranberries in a food processor. ,  Mix in sugar and set aside.
In separate bowl, mix jello and hot water until dissolved. Let stand until cool. (juices from oranges make up for extra water) 
Mix with fruit, add nuts and place in casserole dish, mold or bowl of choosing.
Refrigerate until firm.

as an amazon affiliate I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases from this post.