cookiesI found this recipe in Prevention magazine and was originally very skeptical because these cookies ring in at 91 calories apiece and contain whole wheat flour. However, once I made and tasted them, I realized how AMAZING they are. These cookies are crumbly, flavorful and literally melt in your mouth. They are also my new favorite cookie. Phillip (who is an avid nut hater) even liked them, so I count that as a victory. They do take a little while to make, but they are very much worth it and are snazzy looking enough to go into my Christmas gift baskets.

Ingredients

1 cup pecan pieces

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup 50/50 butter blend spread

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp powdered (confectioners) sugar

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Line baking sheet with foil and place pecans on baking sheet.
  3. Toast pecans in oven until fragrant (about 10 minutes).
  4. Whisk both kinds of flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
  5. Use a mini food processor (I used Phil’s Magic Bullet) chop the pecans with some of the flour mixture.
  6. Whisk pecan mixture back into the rest of the flour mixture.
  7. In a separate bowl, beat granulated sugar, butter, spread, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined.
  8. Add flour mixture in thirds, beating on medium speed until combined.
  9. Cover a baking sheet in foil and spray with nonstick spray (or get out your pizza stone like we do).
  10. Transfer dough to baking sheet and use a rolling pin to even it out as needed. At this point the dough may be kind of crumbly, but don’t worry.
  11. Cut dough crosswise into 8 strips, then cut dough on diagonal into 10 strips (the outsides won’t make complete diamonds).
  12. Bake 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown (since I used a pizza stone, mine only cooked for 18 minutes).
  13. Once cookies are done, cut them along the original score lines and cool (if using a stone, be sure to remove them from the stone within a few minutes of taking them out of the oven so they don’t dry out).
  14. Sift confectioner’s sugar over cookies and enjoy!

Tips

  • Baking and cooking are very different. When cooking, you don’t have to use exact measurements or cooking times. Baking is the exact opposite.
  • When baking, remember to follow the directions and measurements exactly. If the directions say 1/2 a cup, you better use exactly 1/2 a cup.
  • I level the top of my measuring cups with the back of a butter knife to ensure that I get the exact right amount of each ingredient.
  • When chopping the pecans, add enough of the flour mixture to keep the pecans from solidifying into a giant lump.
  • Set the butter out before you start anything else so it has a chance to soften up. This makes it much easier when you have to combine it with the sugar.
  • Stoneware is awesome for baking cookies because it helps prevent them from burning and they don’t stick.
  • A pizza cutter works great for cutting the dough into strips before baking and for cutting the cookies apart after they are done.
  • I recommend setting your timer for less than 25 minutes to make sure you don’t burn the cookies. You can always bake them longer if they aren’t done. But if you burn them, then you’re pretty much screwed.
  • We don’t have a sifter for the last step, so I improvised by using a mesh strainer. You could also use a tea strainer, but it might be a little bit harder to do.