Recipe Cred: The Recipe Rebel Blog
I bake… A LOT. I am basically the official person to bake anything in my husband’s family. I love to do it, but sometimes (especially around the holidays) I get really burnt out on the same old things I always make. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to have your good old stand-byes, but last year I pretty much snapped and decided I couldn’t make ONE MORE stinking cut-out Christmas cookie! I set out on an internet journey to find a new holiday cookie that would be refreshing and new for everyone and I officially found it!
The great thing about these (aside from being something new) is that they are a lot easier to make than many other holiday cookies, and the icing on them sets fast and is stackable. I don’t have a tolerance for super rich tooth-ache kind of sweets either, and these are great because the cookie itself is more like a decadent nut/shortbread kind of flavor, while the icing sweetens it up.
Cookie Ingredients:
- 1 C Butter, Softened
- 1/2 C Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 C Packed Brown Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 t Vanilla
- 2 C All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 t Baking Soda
- 1/4 t Salt
- 1/2 C Finely Chopped Pecans
- 36 Pecans (Halved or chopped for desired effect, it is up to you)
Icing Ingredients:
- 1 C Packed Brown Sugar
- ½ C Milk or Cream
- 1 T butter
- 2 C Powdered Sugar (sifted)
With your mixer or by hand, beat the butter, sugar, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again to combine.
Add flour, baking soda and salt. I only ever hand mix after adding dry ingredients so that I don’t risk making the dough tough. Stir in the 1/2 C chopped pecans.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease your cookie sheet, and roll dough into 1-inch balls (use a tablespoon to help you measure). Place the balls on the cookie sheet with enough room to spread. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and middle is set. Cool on a wire rack.
For the Icing, heat the brown sugar and milk on your stovetop, bringing it to a boil about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Now, add 1 1/2 C of the powdered sugar. Add more sugar as you want to get the desired consistency, but know that it will firm as it sets. I like to leave mine a little runny so I can spoon it on top and it spreads itself like a glaze. If you want it thicker like an actual frosting, you will have to add more powdered sugar. Last, top each cookie with your pecan halves and let the icing set before stacking/storing.
looks so good