Pecan Cookies

These simple and quick cookies are like pecan pie… hold the pie! Not as sticky or gooey, they are definitely chewy. Grab a bunch of pecan halves and get going-

I found the recipe for these gems in a Temple Sisterhood cookbook back when I was doing my Annual Passover Research. Yes, they are Passover-friendly. And they are also gluten-free. And they are also dairy-free.

Four ingredients in addition to the pecans. Yes, that’s right, only four.  Amazing!

The awesome flavor comes from toasting the pecans first. And not for too long. We don’t like the smell of burnt nuts.

After testing this recipe, I came up with this:

Don’t chop the pecans- it takes forever to get them fine enough. Use your food processor instead. I  used my mini food processor because I hate to get the big one out of the cabinet. My mini food processor has a chop button and a grind button. Stay away from the grind button or you will get nut butter. I did that in one of the batches. The texture wasn’t right.

Chop the nuts in small batches. I chopped  the two cups in 4 batches. That will help you achieve the consistency you want.

Roll the balls small enough so that you get about 36 (a good number :)).

PECAN COOKIES

Ingredients:

2 c. PLUS 3 dozen pecan halves

3/4 c. light brown sugar

1/8 t. salt

1 egg white

1 t. lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to  300° F. Toast all the nuts on an unlined baking pan for 4-5 minutes until fragrant.

Turn oven up to 375° F.  Place parchment paper on 2 baking pans.

Use a mini food processor or a regular  food processor to chop 2 cups of nuts finely. Be careful not to over chop and turn the nuts to butter. The easiest way to do this is to chop in small batches, pulsing until very finely chopped.

Place nuts in medium bowl and add brown sugar and salt. Add unbeaten egg white and stir.

Form mixture into  small balls, with an eye on making 36 (you make get 30-32) . Place on prepared pans. Press a pecan half onto each ball and flatten it a bit as you do.

Bake 10-12 minutes. Cool on a rack.

These cookies freeze well.

PS A word on the china:

My parents bought this beautiful set that’s a child’s hot cocoa service for two in Vienna after the war. Not sure how they brought it over safely to New York but they did. My dad was always an excellent packer. My mom gave the set to her baby (me) and it holds a treasured place in my heart and in my hutch.

I baked these cookies  as part of a whole dessert spread to celebrate with a few people who, together with me, could take a moment to appreciate a miracle– the 40th anniversary of my doing kidney dialysis–wow.

I think I’ll start pulling out this sweet set and make hot cocoa for me and my Novio every now and then.

Be well, everyone. Be strong. Be here.