Friday, September 9, 2016

Pecan Cookies with a Maple Penuche Frosting


I would like to share these little goodies with you.  We have made them a couple of times and they are delish!  I think it is the cooked frosting that makes them so good.  I fell in love with cooked frosting many years ago when I first came upon Texas Sheet Cake.  Cooked frosting has to be my favorite, and the soft cookie tastes so good with this cooked frosting.

I love the maple in these cookies, it just seems to say Fall is coming.  Maybe because it is starting to turn fall --I don't know-- the maple flavoring was delicious with this penuche-type frosting.


Pecan Cookies
Yield:  Around 30 to 36 cookies.

1 cup butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup finely chopped pecans
36 pecan halves, toasted

Cooked Brown Sugar Frosting

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon  butter
1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon maple extract (Mapeleine)  Do not use maple syrup.


Instructions for Cookies

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, put butter and sugars and beat until light and fluffy.  Add in the egg and vanilla and mix well. 
2.  Add in the flour, baking soda, and salt, and beat until well mixed.  Add chopped pecans and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.  Please do not skip this step, or you will have flat cookies.
3.  Shape into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet (12 to a baking sheet, in a 350 degree oven  for about 8 to 10 minutes.  You do not want an overcooked cookie.  Set aside and cool before frosting.

Instructions for Frosting

1.  Combine brown sugar and cream in a medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat.  Bring mixture to a boil, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in butter.

2.  Stir in 1-1/2 cups powdering sugar into sugar and cream mixture, beating until smooth.  Work quickly.   If frosting is too thick, add some more cream and beat again until smooth.  If frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar.  You are looking for a frosting consistency that will not droop off the cookie.

3. Frost each cookie and  place a toasted pecan on each cookie.  Make sure you place the pecans on the cookies as you frost them, so they will stick on the cookie.  Make sure frosting is set before you store the cookie. 


I adapted these cookies from a recipe on Recipe Rebel's blog, and she adapted them from Southern Living, which is a favorite source of mine for recipes.

Thanks for dropping by the Couch.

7 comments:

Tricia said...

Oooh, these look SO tempting! And I have all the ingredients, so . . .

Thanks for sharing this!

Entertaining Women said...

I'm a sucker for anything maple, and you are so right about the cooked frosting. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. I am eager to make them for my family and friends. Cherry Kay

Sue said...

What a great combination of cookie and frosting! The Brown sugar frosting sounds YUMMY!

Debbie@Mountain Breaths said...

Joni, these are calling my name "big time". My mom adored penuche fudge so we basically grew up on it. LOL

Linda @ Life and Linda said...

Hi Joni, what a delightful color for fall. Love the idea of maple flavoring and soft cookies. I am going to make these babies. Thanks for sharing.

Jacqueline said...

I could eat just the frosting! These look wonderful.

Betsy said...

Joni,
My Mother used to make these when I was a kid! such memories that come back just looking at them! I will have to try a Gluten Free version. I can't wait to try, except im on a clean eating diet... maybe at Christmas! I too, love Southern Living recipes!
what a fun memory you brought back! hope all is going well with you ad your family!
hugs,
Betsy

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