I've had these on my list to make for a number of years now.  Pecan sandies are such a simple cookie, but they deliver big time! That melt-in-your-mouth buttery goodness that is shortbread, chock full of rich, nutty pecans.  I also rolled the edges in turbinado sugar, so each bite also contains that crunchy, sweet crystallized sugar.  So, so good!

These are another make-ahead cookie.  The dough needs to chill for at least an hour before baking, but you could easily whip up a big batch of these and just cook as many as you need at one time.  Roll the dough into a log, slice into rounds and bake.  Doesn't get much easier than that!



Pecan Sandies

• 1 c. rough-chopped Pecans
• 1 c. salted butter
• 1/2 c. + 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla 
• heaping 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 2/3 c. flour

• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten (for the egg wash)
• Approx 1/2 c. turbinado, or other coarse sugar

In a medium frying pan, over high heat, toast the pecans 3-5 minutes.  Keep them moving constantly, until they are very slightly darker and smell rich and nutty.  Immediately remove from heat and pour into a bowl - they will continue to cook as long as they're in the pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt.  Beat until combined. 

Mix in the flour, a little at a time, and mix until just incorporated.  Stir in the pecans by hand.  I actually found it easier to get an even distribution if I knead them in, rather than using a spoon. 

Place the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap and form the dough into a log, about 1 1/2 inch in diameter.  Wrap tightly and place in the refrigerator for one hour or overnight.

To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator and set aside while you prepare the egg wash.

Lightly brush the sides of the log with the beaten egg yolk and roll in the turbinado sugar to coat.  Slice into rounds about 1/2 inch thick and place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake 15-20 minutes (mine baked for 18 exactly), until the cookies are set and the bottom is starting to lightly brown.  Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container. 

Pecan pralines are one of those amazing desserts that you have to try at least once in your lifetime. Crisp and buttery, melt-in-your-mouth goodness, and full of glorious, rich pecans. (Also note-they are the perfect food for stress eating, and go really well chopped up over ice cream!)

So I've been staring at this recipe for 30 minutes now and I can't think of anything to write to convince you that you should try this... except that it's warm, cinnamon-y apple pie, amazing caramel sauce, and a crumble topping.  Seriously.  Need I say more?  Enjoy!


Caramel Apple Pie
Use this recipe for quick and amazing Homemade Caramel Sauce, and take this pie to the next level!

• 1 9-inch pie crust
• Apples (4 Granny Smith, 2 Pink Lady, Gala, or other apple of choice)
• 1/3 c dark brown sugar
• 1/3 c white sugar
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• Lemon juice
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce

Topping

• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup melted butter

• 1/2 cup caramel sauce, divided

Be sure to check out the rest of the recipes from this year's 12 Days of Cookies.


Well, another year, and another 12 cookie recipes have come and gone.  I can't believe December is almost over!  It's been a crazy year, and I can't wait to see what comes with the new one.  I've had so much fun doing the 12 Days of Cookies again this year, and I'll definitely be doing it again next year.

This time around, we finished just in time for Christmas Eve.  Will Santa be enjoying some of these cookies at your house tomorrow night?  He sure will be at ours!

When I was thinking about recipes for this year's 12 Days of Cookies, I was reading a book that kept talking about a German Chocolate Cake and I decided that some kind of German Chocolate cookie would definitely have to be on the list.  After a little contemplation, I dreamed up these cookies.  And boy, am I glad I decided to make them!

Contrary to what seems to be popular belief, German Chocolate, and the cake made from it, are not German in origin.  Way back in the 1850's a man named Sam German created a mild dark chocolate bar for the Baker's chocolate company.  They named the chocolate in his honor: German's Chocolate.  As a culture, we have fallen in love with the chocolate, and everything made from it, but forgotten about the 's, thus creating some confusion about the chocolate's origin.

One thing that isn't confusing is how delicious these cookies are.  I loosely based my cookie recipe on a German Chocolate Cake recipe that came from my friend Jessica's Grandma.  The filling is a cream cheese frosting base, with toasted coconut and pecan.  Then, the cookies are rolled in a coconut pecan brittle that tastes just like the gooey topping traditionally on a German Chocolate Cake.

Did I save the best for last this year?  I'll let you be the judge of that!  :)


German Chocolate Whoopie Pies

For the Cookies

• 4 oz. German sweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 c. boiling water
• 1/2 c. salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs whites
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• Coconut Pecan Filling (see below for recipe)
• Coconut Pecan Brittle (see below for recipe)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a small, heat-proof bowl, stir together the chocolate and boiling water, until dissolved.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Mix in the vanilla and melted chocolate.

Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.  Set aside.  In another bowl, combine the milk and vinegar.

Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture, alternating with the milk mixture.  Beat until smooth.
In a glass or metal bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks.  Fold into batter.

Drop batter by tablespoonfuls on a parchment lined baking sheet, 2-3 inches apart.  These cookies will spread!  Bake for 8 - 10 minutes.  Allow to cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, pipe equal amounts of the Coconut Pecan Filling onto the bottom of half of the cookies.  Top with the other half of the cookies, sandwiching the filling between the bottoms of both cookies.  Roll the edges in the brittle to coat the exposed side of the filling.  Store in an airtight container, with parchment or waxed paper between each layer.  Makes about 24 sandwich cookies.

Coconut Pecan Filling

• 1 c. salted butter, at room temperature
• 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 c. powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 c. toasted shredded coconut
• 1 c. chopped pecans

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese.  Add in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, mix in the powdered sugar.  Stir in the coconut and pecans.


Coconut Pecan Brittle

• 1/4 c. salted butter, melted
• 2/3 c. dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 c. shredded coconut
• 1/2 c. chopped pecans
• 3 Tbsp milk

Mix all ingredients together and spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Broil, with the oven rack on the second setting, about 5 minutes, or until brittle is bubbly and starting to brown.

Allow to cool.  Break into small pieces.  If brittle is still too soft/gooey to break, put back under the broiler for another minute or two.

Be sure to check back for the rest of the recipes from this year's 12 Days of Cookies.


My husband and I have an on-going battle when it comes to pecan pie.  It's very high up on his list of favorites, and due to its popularity, must be on many other people's lists as well.  Now don't get me wrong - pie is one of my favorite desserts, and the idea of pecan pie is delightful.  However, when it comes to the real thing, I have yet to find one I like.  All that ooey-gooey filling, with barely enough nuts to merit the name, leaves me feeling a little gooey and queasy myself.

Enter my mother-in-law.  I don't remember the first time I tried her pecan bars, but I fell in love on the spot!  They are so wonderful.  A crisp shortbread crust, with a topping like the pie, though with more nuts and less goo.  It's the perfect middle ground for our pie dilemma.  Who knew a cookie could be the answer to world peace?  (or at least a happy marriage)

So without further ado, and with her permission, I'm sharing my sweet mother-in-law's recipe for Pecan Bars.  Enjoy!

Pecan Bars

Crust

• 3/4 c. powdered sugar
• 3/4 c. salted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 c. flour

Topping

• 2 eggs
• 1 c. dark brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/4 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix powdered sugar, butter, and 1 1/2 c flour together until smooth.  Press into a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake until lightly golden brown, 12-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another bowl whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla.  Stir in the 2 Tbsp flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add the pecans.

Spread over baked crust and bake another 20 minutes.  Allow to cool in pan before cutting into bars.

Makes about 32 3x1 inch cookies.

Remember that left over pumpkin puree and pecan bits from this recipe?  I said I had a recipe for you to use it up, and here it is!


This is one of my favorite family recipes.  My mom used to make this pumpkin roll for just about every special occasion.  I remember pulling out the tattered paper the recipe was written on, time and time again, until we finally had to re-write it, or risk losing it all together.

This is a great make-ahead dessert for Thanksgiving.  I don't know about you, but I hate being stressed out trying to get everything finished on Thanksgiving day, so I try to make whatever I can in the days leading up to it.  This recipe can be made fairly quickly and is sure to be a hit with all your friends and family (but if you decide not to share it, I won't tell!).
Pumpkin Roll

• 3 eggs
• 1 c white sugar
• 2/3 c canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix!)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 3/4 c flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 c powdered sugar (or more, for dusting)

Filling

• 1 c powdered sugar
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 c butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2/3 c chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 F and grease and flour and jelly roll pan (10 x 15 in.).  Lay out a dish towel (I like to put some paper towels on top for easier clean up) and sift a solid layer of powdered sugar over it, just bigger than the jelly roll pan.

Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl, and mix for 5 minutes at high speed.  Gradually add sugar and beat well.  Add pumpkin puree and lemon juice.

Combine flour and other dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add to pumpkin mixture and blend well.  Pour batter into jelly roll pan, spreading evenly into edges and corners.  Smooth the top as evenly as possible (any lumps will be emphasized during baking).


Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and give it a little jiggle.  Work quickly because the cake needs to be warm in order to roll properly.  If the cake is not readily loose, gently slide a rubber spatula around the edges and under the cake.  You want it completely disconnected from the pan to make the next step go smoothly.  Turn cake onto towel sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Beginning at the narrow end, roll up cake and towel together.  Let cool on a rack.

Meanwhile, make the filling:  Combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla.  Beat in the powdered sugar.  Blend until smooth and creamy.  Fold in pecans.


Unroll cake and spread with filling.  Re-roll cake again (without towel).  Chill, seam side down (2-4 hours or overnight).  Dust with more powdered sugar (if necessary) before serving.  I also like to trim about 1/4 inch off each end to give a smooth appearance... and you have to make sure it tastes good before you serve it to people right?  :)






Serves 12

Have you planned your Thanksgiving menu yet?  You definitely need to add these rolls to the list!  I've been meaning to make these adorable rolls, and finally found my opportunity yesterday.  I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly and easily they came together.  And they are absolutely delicious!

Seriously, I can't get over how cute these things are!  Liam thought they were pretty great as well, and kept toddling back into the kitchen asking for more.  I had some leftover pumpkin puree (yes, they have actual pumpkin in them too!) and almost started making another batch as soon as I sneaked a taste of one fresh out of the oven.  Instead, I've got another great pumpkin recipe coming for you that also uses any leftover bits of pecans from this recipe, as well as the pumpkin.


Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
slightly adapted from Beyond Kimchee

• 3/4 c whole milk
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/3 c. dark brown sugar
• 1/3 c. white sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 pkgs active dry yeast
• 1 tsp white sugar
• 1/4 c. warm water
• 5 c all-purpose flour
• 15-20 pecan halves

Egg Wash

• 1 egg
• 1-2 Tbsp milk or water

In a small sauce pan, scald the milk (heat it to just under a boil).  When the milk starts to get all bubbly and frothy, remove it from the heat and add the butter.  Stir until it's completely melted.

Pour into a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) and add the pumpkin puree, sugars, and salt.  Use a large spoon and mix until well combined.

In a small, separate bowl, proof the yeast in the warm water with the teaspoon of sugar.  When it becomes foamy, stir it into the pumpkin mixture.  Add the egg and mix well.

Add the flour and mix (with a spoon still) until well combined.

If using an electric mixer, attach the dough hook and beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 5-7 minutes.  Then turn out onto your work surface and knead by hand for 1 minute.

If the electric mixer isn't your thing (kneading by hand), ignore the previous instructions and turn out onto your work surface once the flour is incorporated.  Knead for about 7-10 minutes, until the dough is soft and elastic.

Form the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl and cover with a cloth.  Let it rise until doubled in size.  This could take anywhere from 1-3 hours, depending on the room temperature.  I found mine went a lot faster once I placed in in a barely warm oven.

Punch it down and knead if for a few seconds to get all the big bubbles out.  Cut the dough in half, and then each half into 15 pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball and flatten, gently, into a disk.


Make a cut 1/3 of the way into the disk, then repeat on the opposite side.  Make a quarter turn and repeat, leaving 4 equal segments that are left connected by the center.  Divide each of these in half.  Your disk should resemble a flower with 8 petals.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  This went really quickly when I picked it up and used my kitchen shears instead of trying to cut it with a knife.

Repeat this procedure with all the rolls, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Let them rise, about 45 minutes, until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350.  Meanwhile, brush the rolls with a quick egg wash.  (Whisk the remaining egg with 1-2 Tbsp milk or water; brush over the rolls.)  Bake 20 minutes, until the top begins to brown.  Let cool on a wire rack.

While the rolls are baking, prepare the pecans.  Looking at the top of a pecan half, there are two sides and a center ridge.  Carefully slice off either side and reserve.  Go slowly because the nuts tend to break.  Don't discard the left over centers!  (If you don't eat them) I have another recipe for you that will use them up.  Insert pecan slices into tops of the rolls as stems.

Makes 30 rolls.