The Cookie Carnival: Pecan Pie Cookies

This month's Cookie Carnival challenge was Pecan Pie Cookies. Since pecan pie is one of my favorites, of course, I had to try it! Boy, where these delicious! Sweet, but yummy! Definitely need a glass of milk with them!

The recipe was chosen from Jen at Beantown Baker. She made an excellent choice!

Pecan Pie Cookies - from Land O Lakes - makes ~3 dozen

Cookie Ingredients:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F.

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

Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Make indentation in each cookie with thumb; rotate thumb to hollow out slightly.

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

Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

The Cookie Carnival: The Ultimate Chewy and Soft Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I know this recipe is from the November posting. But....I never got around to making them. My loss! These cookies are YUMMY and CHOCOLATELY! Awesome with a glass of cold milk! I made these to take with me tomorrow. My son is walking the second part of the Barefoot Mailman with the boy scouts. I am one of the rides back home so I thought I would bake some cookies for a treat at the end of their walk. Especially for the boys who walked over 20 miles the first day and slept out. The boys are hiking with their back packs loaded with sleeping gear, clothes, food and drinks.



I used chocolate chunks and some regular semi-sweet chocolate chips.



Ingredients



1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups, plus 2 T all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
16 oz flavorful bitter or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped



Ingredients



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or lightly butter them, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or stand mixture fitted with paddle attachement, or a large bowl if mixing by had, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each additon. Beat in the vanilla.



Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.



Using your hadns, shape knobs of dough about the size of a large walnut and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Stagger the rows of cookies to ensure even baking. Bake 12-15 minutes for smaller cookies, 14-17 for larger ones or untile the tops are a light golden brown. If the cookies are neither firm nor dark when they are removed from the oven, they will cool chewy and soft. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.



If somehow they don't get inhaled immediately, they may be stored airtight at room temperature for up to one week.

Cookie Carnival: Chocolate Hazlenut Biscotti

This is my first posting for the Cookie Carnival. This month's recipe is Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti. This was my first attempt at making biscotti. To be truthful, I have not had very many biscottis. These were excellent. I would definitely make these again. My son loves them dipped in milk; my mom said they are great dipped in coffee. Plus, it left her coffee with a wonderful taste! The recipe was very easy to follow and the final product was delicious.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Biscotti
Bon Appétit
from The Bakehouse, Bloomington, IN

Makes about 4 dozen.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, toasted, husked (I used packaged chopped hazelnuts)
3 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Grind 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts in processor. Set aside.

Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Beat butter and sugar in another large bowl to blend. Add eggs and vanilla and almond extracts and beat until well blended. Beat in flour mixture. Mix in 1 cup whole toasted hazelnuts, chocolate chips and 1/2 cup ground hazelnuts.

Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece on baking sheet into 2 1/2-inch-wide by 14-inch-long log. Place logs on prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 1/2 inches apart (logs will spread during baking). Bake until logs feel firm when tops are gently pressed, about 35 minutes. Cool logs on baking sheet 15 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

Using long wide spatula, transfer baked logs to cutting board. Using serrated knife, cut warm logs crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Arrange slices, cut side down, on 2 baking sheets. Bake biscotti until firm, about 15 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool completely. (Chocolate-Hazelnut Biscotti can be prepared ahead. Store in airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.)