A soft buttery, nutty cookie smothered in confectioners sugar makes a perfect holiday treat. I can't stop eating these, so I try to give them away for the holidays. You may not be able to either, so I suggest you give these away too, your family and friends will love you. The best part is they are easy and no fuss to make!
This recipe yields about 36 cookies:
2 sticks unsalted butter (8oz), softened
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups finely chopped pecans (I chop them in the food processor)
Lots of confectioners sugar (sifted) for rolling in (about 1 cup)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed cream together the butter and sugar for 1 minute. Then add 1/2 the flour, vanilla and 1 Tbsp water, beat until combined, then add remaining flour and beat till thoroughly combined. Blend in the pecans on low speed till evenly incorporated. Shape batter into 1 inch balls or use a small cookie scoop to form the balls. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in oven about 20 mins or till bottoms are lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Gently shake cooled cookies in a bag with confectioners sugar and serve or prepare in gift tins. Makes about 36 cookies.
Enjoy!
This cake is perfect for a holiday breakfast or brunch. It's bursting with fresh, bright and tart cranberries and then covered in a sweet, glistening vanilla crumb ~ a very delicious combination. I found it in the book "rustic fruit desserts" ~ crumbles, buckles, cobblers, pandowdies, and more ~ this is a treasure of a little book for us fruit dessert lovers.
Cake:
1 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temp - for coating pan
1 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter at room temp
1/4 cup sugar
zest of 1 orange
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp Rodelle's Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups fresh cranberries - rinsed and any stems removed
Crumb:
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 cup light brown sugar
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/2 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 Tbsp Rodelle's Pure Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
For cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread butter on bottom and sides of a 9 inch square baking pan. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl, set aside. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment cream together the butter, sugar and orange zest until light and fluffy, about 3 mins. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Blend in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions alternating with the sour cream, scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Fold in 1 cup of the cranberries. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Distribute the remaining 1 cup of cranberries over the cake, then sprinkle the crumb topping over the cranberries. Baker for 45-50 mins, until lightly golden and firm on top. Let cool, then cut into squares and serve.
For crumb: combine the flour, sugars, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then drizzle the vanilla over and pulse to distribute the vanilla.
Adapated from "rustic fruit desserts" Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson
This and other great fruit dessert recipes can be found in this book here:
http://astore.amazon.com/rosscoubak-20/detail/1580089763
Enjoy!
