Spiced pecan & white chocolate cookies
By Tali Simon | November 23, 2011
In yesterday’s post, I said I’d rather use butter in baking than cooking (large quantities of butter, anyway). I figured it was only fair to follow up with a dessert — and if I was going to blog about something sweet, it was really high time I posted the recipe for these spiced pecan and white chocolate cookies.
I actually baked these back in the summer and saved the photos in the blog file on my laptop. There isn’t even a good reason I’ve waited so long to share them, other than that I kept on cooking and other recipes just got shared first.
I made these cookies to bring to Shabbos hosts (a meal invite basically guarantees a plate of fresh cookies from us), and they were a big hit. Come to think of it, the friends we shared them with asked for the recipe…several months ago.
Better late than never, I always say.
So about the cookies. As I’m sure you noticed right away, these are not your typical circle-shaped cookies. But it’s not just shape. They’re also different in that they have a more sophisticated taste. Between the ginger, nutmeg, and pecans, these are definitely more of an adult cookie than a kiddie cookie.
Never mind the sugar. It was a half-hearted experiment that didn't work.
If you’ve been having too much mac & cheese lately (is that even possible?), try these cookies. And then try stopping at just one.
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(Based on Sweet Secrets)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (or margarine), soft
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 3 egg yolks
- 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 heaping tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup pecans
- 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
Directions
1. Cream butter and sugar with a hand or stand mixer.
2. Add honey and egg yolks and mix until combined.
3. Next add flours and all four spices and mix just until a dough forms. Add the nuts and chocolate chips, distributing them (by hand) throughout the dough.
4. Shape dough into two logs and flatten the sides to create rectangular cubes. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes.
5. Once the 30 minutes are up, preheat the oven to 340 F/170 C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Slice the logs into pieces about 1/4-inch thick and lay them on the baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cookies are fragrant and firm to the touch. Cool several minutes before serving.
7. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
4 Comments
Laura on November 23, 2011 at 5:15 am.
I like how you changed this recipe around from the original–more whole wheat, pecans instead of pistachios, plus the chips. This sounds really good.
But, what was the half hearted experiment with the pecans and sugar?
Tali Simon on November 23, 2011 at 4:16 pm.
Ah, yes. I love candied nuts and wondered whether simply roasting the pecans in sugar would achieve the right effect…it was a Friday afternoon and I didn’t have much time, so I just shoved them in the oven for a bit. Clearly, you need something to make the sugar stick.
B on November 23, 2011 at 7:40 pm.
I usually sugar nuts in a frying pan –add nuts, sugar, and stir frequently until sugar has caramelized and turned brown, coating the nuts. Never needed to add anything else, but not entirely hands off, either. (I have, however, done this way too close to Shabbos, but that’s another story for another time.)
Tali Simon on November 23, 2011 at 7:44 pm.
I stand happily corrected. Thanks!