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Pecan & Maple Cookie Logs

December 16, 2011 By Kate Leave a Comment

Every year I have a group of Christmas cookies that are MUST makes because different members of my family count on receiving certain cookies. So when I sit down to plan out what I’ll be baking, I start with those few necessities and then add on with either completely new cookies or cookies that I haven’t made in a few years.

And every year, I end up planning to make way more cookies than what I actually accomplish. This year’s list had an ambitious 17 types of cookies. I’ve made it through 9 of those and it’s not looking too good for the remaining 8. I guess we’ll see how I’m feeling next week to see just how far I get.

These cookies have a flavor that is very similar to my favorite Maple Pecan cookies, but the texture is different. These cookies are richer and resemble a crumbly, shortbread texture. Love that! (By the way, it’s good to see that nothing changes and the my Christmas list making habits were exactly the same in 2009 as they are now, which you’ll notice if you click over to that post. That’s just funny.)

The kids were responsible for these cookies for the most part. They rolled the dough and handled the decorating. They might not look as picture-perfect as I would have wanted, but they taste even more delicious because of all that love that went into them!

Pecan & Maple Logs

For cookies:

  • 1 1/2 c. butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 c. brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 c. maple syrup
  • 4 c. flour
  • 1 c. ground pecans

1. Beat the butter and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl; beat until creamy. Add eggs and syrup and beat until combined. Slowly add the flour and beat just until it is fully incorporated, being careful not to overmix. Add the pecans and again beat just until combined. If the dough is to messy to work with, you can refrigerate it for a few hours or longer.

2. Using about 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons of dough at a time, roll into a log shape and place on a cookie sheet. Repeat until done.

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden-brown on the bottom. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

For Frosting:

  • 2 T. butter
  • 3 T. maple syrup
  • 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
  • Food coloring, if desired

1. Beat the butter and maple syrup together. Slowly add the powdered sugar while continuing to beat until the desired consistency is reached. (Less sugar for spreadable frosting, more sugar for pipe-able frosting.) Add and combine desired food coloring, if using. Decorate cookies.

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Coconut & Cherry Kisses

December 15, 2011 By Kate 2 Comments

It is my most favorite time of year – Christmas cookie baking time! Oh sure, I love Christmas – the tradtions, the excitement from the kids, the gifts, the music, the trees – all of  that is wonderful. But there is just something abouth making Christmas cookies that lets me know all is right with the world.

I spent the entire day this past Sunday making cookies. The kids came in and out of the kitchen and anxiously helped whenever the opportunity arose. It was a great day. I’ve made a few more cookies the past couple days as well, just because there’s no such thing as too many Christmas cookies in my world.

Needless to say, I’ll be posting a bunch of cookie recipes the rest of this week and next. Ready? Here we go…

Coconut & Cherry Kisses

  • 1 7 oz. package shredded coconut
  • 2 T. cornstarch
  • 1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 t. vanilla
  • 1/2 t. almond extract
  • 1/2 c. red candied cherries (and/or green candied cherries), chopped

1. Pour coconut into a mixing bowl and stir in the cornstarch. Add the sweetened condensed milk and the extracts, stirring until combined. Fold in the chopped cherries.

2. Drop about a teaspoon of batter at a time onto a greased or foil-lined cookie sheet. If the batter spreads when you drop it, mound it a little with your fingers.

3. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes at 325 degrees, just until the bottoms get lightly browned and the tops are set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool after 1 minute.

These are not what you’d call “subtle” cookies. They are definitely sweet, but so good!

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Nutella Cream Pie with Hazelnut Crust

November 16, 2011 By Kate 8 Comments

Sometimes, I just don’t understand our kids. At the beginning of the month, I bought a 2-pack of large Nuttela. My thought was that those would last us at least 2 months of yummy breakfasts and tasty treats and snacks. Smart idea, right? (Because really, is there ever a time when turning down a jumbo container of Nutella is a good idea?)

Well, it would seem like a smart idea. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out that way when the kids purposefully set out to find the second container to open for a breakfast of toast and Nutella one day. Seeing as how we’d hardly put a dent in the first container, this move did not make for a happy mom!

Needless to say, using up all of this Nutella before it goes bad has become a huge priority for me. When we had company over this weekend, I really saw no choice but to come up with a Nutella-based dessert. If you’re a fan of Nutella, I know I don’t need to sell you on the deliciousness of this Nutella Cream Pie with Hazelnut Crust. If you’re a Nutella novice, this is the perfect introduction! Just take my word on this – you MUST make and enjoy this pie. It’s unbelievably good!!

Nutella Cream Pie with Hazelnut Crust

For the crust:

  • 1 1/2 c. chopped hazelnuts
  • 1/2 c. oats
  • 1 T. sugar
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 6 T. butter, melted

1. Combine the hazelnuts, oats, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs. Slowly pour in the melted butter while continuing to pulse, until combined.

2. Press the mixutre evenly into a 8 or 9 inch pie. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned and set. Cool completely.

For the filling:

  • 1 8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
  • 1 c. Nutella
  • 1/4 c. milk
  • 1 8 oz. container cool whip (or fresh whipped cream)

1. In a large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until combined. Add the Nutella and milk and beat for 5 minutes, until thoroughly combined and somewhat fluffy. Fold in the cool whip.

2. Spoon into completely cooled hazelnut crust and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow pie to set.

Note – Due to the richness of both the crust and the filling, this pie is best served in smaller slices.

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