1
PECAN CRINKLE COOKIES Makes about 18. By Dennis W. Viau; modified from an old magazine recipe. These elegant sandwich cookies taste as good as they look. They are easy to make and they bake in minutes. Ingredients: For the Cookies: ¼ cup (½ stick/2 ounces/57g) regular or unsalted butter 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar Pinch of salt if using unsalted butter (optional) 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1/3 cup (1½ ounces/43g) all-purpose flour 1 cup (about 4 ounces/113g) coarsely chopped pecans 1 teaspoon vanilla extract For the Filling: 1 cup (4 ounces/113g) powdered (confectioner’s) sugar, plus 2 to 3 tablespoons if needed ¼ cup (½ stick/2 ounces/57g) regular or unsalted butter, room temperature Pinch of salt if using unsalted butter (optional) 1 tablespoon orange juice ¾ tablespoon grated orange zest Optional: 1 teaspoon Cointreau orange flavored liqueur Directions: For the Cookies: Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C) with a rack in the center. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine the butter, sugar, (optional salt), and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir until the butter is melted. Increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add the flour, nuts, and vanilla. Combine well. Using a spoon or a small disher (similar to a small ice cream scoop), drop dollops of about a teaspoon of cookie better on a lined baking sheet with 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7cm) room in between (the cookie dough will spread when baking). Bake, one sheet at a time, 10 to 15 minutes until browning around the edges. (If the cookies maintain a mound in the center, the dough can be pressed down with a long-handled spoon during the baking time.) Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool about 10 minutes, then use a thin spatula to transfer the cookies from the parchment paper to a rack to cool thoroughly. For the Filling: Combine all the filling ingredients and mix well. The mixture should hold a shape without flowing. If too wet, additional powdered sugar can be added a tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. Transfer the filling to a small (1 quart) ziplock bag and cut one of the bottom corners off to open a small hole. Pipe filling onto the bottom surface of one cookie and then place a second cookie, bottom side down, onto the filling, gently pressing both cookies together to adhere. Arrange on a platter for serving or store in an air-tight container until needed. The Step By Step guide begins on the following page. 215. Copyright 2014 MobileHomeGourmet.com, all rights reserved.
20140123
STEP-BY-STEP
2
1
Heat a medium-size saucepan over a low flame and add the butter, sugar, and corn syrup. A small pinch of salt can be added if using unsalted butter. Heat until the butter is thoroughly melted. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
2
Remove the pan from the heat and add the flour, nuts, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
215. Copyright 2014 MobileHomeGourmet.com, all rights reserved.
3
3
Arrange small dollops of the cookie dough on a lined baking sheet (you’ll need two) with plenty of room in between to allow for expansion as the cookies melt and spread in the oven.
4
Bake in a 350°F (177°C) oven, on a rack in the middle of the oven, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are brown around the edges. If there is a mound of batter in the middle, it can be pressed down with a spoon while the cookies are baking.
215. Copyright 2014 MobileHomeGourmet.com, all rights reserved.
5
4
My cookies are larger than they should be because I used too large a scoop. My recipe yielded only 10 cookies, whereas I should have gotten 18. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes on a rack. Then transfer the cookies from the parchment paper to the rack to cool completely.
6
While the cookies are cooling, squeeze an orange for the juice. You’ll only need 1 tablespoon (drink the rest).
215. Copyright 2014 MobileHomeGourmet.com, all rights reserved.
7
5
Using a microplane grater or other grater, remove some of the orange skin, the zest, from the orange. You’ll need about ¾ tablespoon.
8
Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl. If you include the Cointreau liqueur, you might find the filling to be too wet. Add additional powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, to attain the correct consistency. The filling should hold a shape without flowing, but still be soft and spreadable.
215. Copyright 2014 MobileHomeGourmet.com, all rights reserved.
9
6
These cookies are thin, crisp, and a little brittle. To prevent breaking while spreading them with filling, I used a small ziplock bag. After filling the bag, I cut off one lower corner to make a piping bag.
10
With the open corner close to the cookie’s bottom surface, squeeze the bag to pipe filling onto the surface.
215. Copyright 2014 MobileHomeGourmet.com, all rights reserved.
7
11
Place a second cookie, bottom side down, on top of the filling and gently press the cookies together to adhere.
12
Conclusion These cookies make an elegant treat. The consistency is crisp, about halfway between a cookie and a candy. If you like sweet treats, this cookie will satisfy your cravings.
215. Copyright 2014 MobileHomeGourmet.com, all rights reserved.
