Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies: #CreativeCookieExchange



The theme this month for The Creative Cookie Exchange is Fall. I knew exactly what cookie I wanted to bake! I fell in love with this cookie a few years ago at a event I attend every Fall. 


For the past six years I have been attending the annual Taste of Home Cooking School show held in October.  I'm always super excited to attend the show. There are vendors and sponsors that make the show fun, tons of prizes are raffled off during the event! 


I have been extremely busy lately with work and life that I completely forgot about the upcoming show. I was also surprised that none of my friends or family that join me every year had remembered either.
I scrambled to log on to the event only to find that it had been cancelled! I should have seen this coming since last year the show lost two of the most important sponsors, and the show for the first time was a flop. All through the event complaints were heard, people wanting a refund, and many people walking out. 


Disappointed, I thought back to all the good memories the show had left. It brought me back to this cookie. One year one of the sponsors supplied the event with Pecan Pie Thumbprints from their bakery. They were delicious!


This town may not have the show anymore but at least I was left with fond memories, and the discovery of this delicious cookie!

PECAN PIE THUMBPRINTS adapted from Annie's Eats 

INGREDIENTS:

For the dough:
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 4oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
For the filling:
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
Directions:
  1. In a bowl of a large mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until blended, about 1 minute.
  2. Add the sugars and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Add the vanilla and beat until blended.
  4. On low speed, add the salt and flour, and beat only until mixed throughly. 
  5. Remove the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for one hour.
  6. While your dough chills, make the filling. In a medium bowl add all of the filling ingredients except pecans, and whisk until sugars are fully dissolved. Add the pecans and mix until fully blended.
  7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. 
  8. Using a cookie scoop to measure out the dough, scoop out the dough and roll into balls. Place on cookie sheet two to three inches apart. Using the back of your thumb make a round indentation in the center of each ball of dough. Fill the centers of the cookie with a rounded teaspoon of filling.
  9. Bake for 15 to 16 minutes. Remove from oven and cool cookies on sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.







One of the best things about fall--in addition to sweaters and football--is all of the delightful seasonal themes that come to mind for baking. Pumpkin, apples, late summer and early fall harvest, Halloween, Thanksgiving…. They are all fun and delicious to play around with, so check out what we have for you this month! You can also use us as a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:

5 comments:

Holly @ abakershouse.com said...

I think I could bake these rather than a whole pecan pie this Thanksgiving. They look like a great way to get that pecan flavor without wanting to eat the whole pie!

Linda@2CookinMamas said...

My husband would love these! He's a sucker for anything pecan pie related and I like not having to bake an entire pie. Yum!

Karen said...

I'm with Holly. I'm sorry the show didn't come back, but at least you have the memory of these cookies!

Sarah R said...

This would go down 10000% here! Love pecan pie

All That's Left Are The Crumbs said...

Wow, these look amazing and I know they would be a big hit at my house. I'm definitely going to add them to my holiday Christmas Cookie list.