Golden Pecan Crunchies

When you want to impress your family or guests, serve these golden cookies loaded with pecans and topped with thick, sweet, Chocolate Icing. These cookies were one of my mother's Christmas specialties, but the recipe can be made year-round.
Prep: 1 hour Chill: 1 hour Bake: 10 to 11 minutes Bake at: 375°F Spread icing: 20 minutes Yield: 38 to 40 cookies Pan: 2 baking sheets Difficulty: intermediate

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

Bowl #1

  • 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Bowl #2

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (82 grams) dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup pecans, chopped

Bowl # 3

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups (205 grams) dark brown sugar
  • 1 large unbeaten egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Icing

  • 1 cup ( 6-ounce package) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • Up to 1/4 teaspoon milk for thinning, if needed

Directions

Making the Cookies

  • Bowl #1: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Bowl #2: Place 2 tablespoons softened butter, 1/2 cup (82g) dark brown sugar and chopped pecans in a small bowl. Mash together the ingredients with your fingers to combine leaving no large lumps of butter.
  • Bowl #3: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer at medium speed to cream 8 tablespoons (1 stick) softened butter until whipped, about 30 seconds. With the mixer running, gradually add 1 1/4 cups (205g) dark brown sugar and then beat for 2 to 3 minutes more. Turn off the mixer and add the egg and vanilla. Turn on the mixer and blend.
  • Stir the contents of bowl #1 into bowl #3. Next, stir the contents of bowl #2 into bowl #3 until just mixed. The batter should look clumpy and separated, not blended.
  • Prepare a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Shape the dough into balls by rounded tablespoonfuls (#50 cookie scoop) , pressing the dough firmly together. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet 2 inches apart. Flatten each dough ball very slightly with the palm of your hand. Chill them for 1 full hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Bake the cookies for 10 to 11 minutes until lightly browned. Bake cookies in 2 batches and do not stack baking sheets on racks in the oven. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Icing the Cookies

  • Place the chocolate chips in a small, microwave-safe bowl. At 50% power, melt the chips in 30 second intervals for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Stir the chocolate after 1 minute and continue stirring at 30 second intervals until the chips are hot and completely melted. Stir the condensed milk into the melted chips. The icing hardens quickly!
  • Spoon about 1 tablespoon warm icing onto each cookie and spread fast, leaving a small margin around the edge. If the icing becomes too stiff to spread, add a few drops of milk at a time and stir; do not add too much milk.
  • Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To freeze, place the cookies in an airtight tin, separating layers with wax paper, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Tips

  • The most important step in the recipe is adding bowl #2 to bowl #3. If you overmix, the cookies will spread on the baking sheet and not hold their shape. You do not want lacy edges. If the worst happens and the cookies spread, you can cut off the lacy edge with a knife or the end of a metal spatula.
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