Brittany's PantryMaple Nut Cookies
Brittany wrote this on 20 November 2013
pecans
I love it when I find a recipe that I have made several times before and then kind of forgot about. And a Christmas cookie to boot!!!
Its like…well…Christmas! Discovering a little surprise package. Oh look at this! A great cookie recipe! Tucked away in the catacombs of my cookbook collection, it was just sitting there. Quietly waiting for me to bring it back after years of neglect. I’ve been searching out a lot of those recipes that were-um, pre-blog, if you will. Tasty recipes I made, tweaked, served, and loved, and then just took a break from them for a bit. Then some smell or thought or different dish triggers my memory and I suddenly think, “Hmmm. Whatever happened to that one cookie/bar/bread/chicken dish I used to make?” Much like my closets, I feel my archives are always in the need of weeding. I don’t like holding onto something that I am never going to use. Either it is a good recipe, or its out. It is also why I like to go back through my personal boards on Pinterest and clean them out. But everyone does that, right? Don’t all of YOU scan your pins and think to yourself, ‘Self? What in the flagnog* was I thinking pinning a recipe for a dish that contained browned butter?’ DELETE. That is totally common. Right? RIGHT??
What I am particularly fond of regarding these cookies is that they mirror a buttery, crunchy shortbread but are not as fussy. This recipe for Maple Pecan Shortbread is spectacular and classic with a mild maple flavor. But today’s cookie recipe has fewer steps, a very pronounced maple flavor, but with that same satisfyingly crispy and crumbly texture that shortbread has. It is also a great recipe for kiddos to help with. Smashing cookie dough with a fork dipped in sugar or letting glaze randomly drip all over dessert are both tasks that are right up their alley. The visual texture and color contrast makes them perfect for a dessert buffet, cookie tray, and a leading candidate for a pretty Christmas gift box for a neighbor.
Just so darn pretty, dontcha think?
*Flagnong will make sense to anyone who saw the movie Monsters vs Aliens.
One Year Ago: Classic Mashed Potatoes (Oooooooh baby!)
Two Years Ago: Sweet Potato Casserole & Maple Orange Cranberry Sauce
Three Years Ago: Spiced Tea
Maple Nut Cookies
Adapted from Pillsbury
These can be baked and sealed and stored in the freezer if you want to get ahead with your Christmas baking, but don’t glaze them until you are ready to serve them! They last about 48 hours in a sealed container on the counter before they start to lose their crunchiness. But the taste is still great!
Cookies:
1 c pecan halves, toasted *see note*
2 sticks (1 c) butter, softened-preferably unsalted
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp maple flavoring
1 egg
2 c all-purpose flour
sugar for pressing
Icing:
3/4 c powdered sugar
1 T milk
1 tsp maple flavoring
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If you haven’t yet, toast the nuts now. Cool slightly and chop finely.
In the bowl of an electric mixer or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg and maple flavoring and scrape the sides of the bowl, combining the ingredients well. On low, add the flour and chopped pecans until just combined. Using a teaspoon or small scoop, portion the dough into 1-inch balls and roll between your hands until smooth. Place balls on a greased or parchment/silpat lined sheet pan. Dip a large dinner fork into plain white sugar, and press the dough balls flat in a criss-cross pattern, as you would traditional peanut butter cookies! Bake for 11-12 minutes, or until just barely golden brown at the edges. Cool slightly on the pan, then remove to a cooking rack to cool completely. Meanwhile, combine the icing ingredients, being very careful not to over pour the milk! Whisk together until smooth and just able to drizzle. If the icing is a bit stiff, add the milk by a few drops at a time until drizzle-able. Glaze the cookies sparingly by sweeping a spoon back and forth over the top. If your kids are helping, well, then, just stand by with a damp rag. Enjoy!
*Note: To toast the pecans, or any nuts you need toasted for a recipe, spread on a sheet pan in a single layer and bake in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Toss the nuts and toast for another 5 minutes, being careful not to let them burn! WATCH CLOSELY! If you can smell the toasted nuts, THEY ARE DONE!!! Alternatively, you can put them in a dry pan on the stove over low heat, tossing occasionally until fragrant.
Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
Brittany wrote this on 16 November 2013 cauliflower, cheese, gluten-free, parmesan cheese
As Thanksgiving, the holiday of food, approaches, everyone is looking for interesting/original/uncomplicated items to add to the menu. But wouldn’t it be nice if the new recipe you tried was so easy and so delicious, that you just ended up making it all the time? I think that would be a beautiful thing.
Don’t get me wrong! Brussels sprout gratin with gruyere, fresh herbs, and toasted anchovy bread crumbs sounds good too. I just don’t always have time for a side dish that requires that many steps and that level of energy. I’ll do a Thanksgiving round-up in the next post, but you can rest assured that my desserts will be make-ahead but that I will have way too many things on the menu. I’m reliable that way. Because…you know….its good to be consistent….
This recipe is basically the exact same way I make my roasted broccoli. Of course, using cauliflower gives it a whole different flavor. The vegetables get nice and sweet and the parmesan adds a nice salty texture. It is quite lovely and it is incredibly hard to keep your fingers out of the bowl. Being nice and light comes in handy so you can load up on the butter smothered mashed potatoes. The perfect part, is that it tastes special, but only requires the effort of a typical quick dish for a weeknight meal. It roasts so fast you can pop it into the oven at the very very last minute and let it do its thing while you round up the troops to eat. By the time everyone washes hands, finds a seat, and the noise level cools off so that you can hear the blessing of the food, your dish is done and steaming hot on the table
One Year Ago: Green Beans W/Mushrooms & Bacon
Two Years Ago: Rum Pumpkin Pie
Three Years Ago: Marshmallow Pumpkin Dip
Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
This recipe doubles easily and reheats great. Don’t skimp on the fresh cracked black pepper. It makes all the difference.
1 large head of fresh cauliflower, trimmed, rinsed, and cut into bite-sized florets
extra virgin olive oil
salt and fresh cracked black pepper
2 T grated parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 425. Toss the cauliflower and oil together sprinkle with salt and pepper together, coating the vegetables evenly and spread out in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast for 10 minutes, then toss lightly with a spatula to let them toast evenly. Return them to the oven for another five minutes, or until evenly browned and the largest pieces are just starting to lose their firmness, but aren’t getting mushy. Immediately sprinkle with parmesan and toss together, letting the heat of the pan and the veggies warm the cheese. Serve immediately.
Brown Sugar Banana Nut Muffins
Brittany wrote this on 12 November 2013 bananas, buttermilk, flax, walnuts, whole wheat flour
I see Banana Nut Muffins as a pretty standard type of baked good. When I set out to create this recipe, I wanted all the great flavor but with just a tweak (just a smidgen) of an update. So I made it heart healthy but kept the classic brown sugar taste that I love with banana. Nothing all that fancy; just a healthier version of a great muffin that just may become your ONLY version. It is for me. And I am not saying that just because I can’t stop eating them. I generally like to eat my muffins the way I was raised to; sans butter. But when I smeared a good ‘ol salty glob of the good stuff on these muffins, I nearly dropped to my knees in thankfulness. Stellar.
One Year Ago: Pork & Prune Stew & Ginger Chai Blondies
Two Years Ago: How To: Homemade Pumpkin Puree & Garlic Herb Bread & Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Three Years Ago: Piggy Pudding & Broccoli, Bean, & Cheddar Soup
Brown Sugar Banana Nut Muffins
Of course these freeze beautifully and this recipe makes exactly 12 muffins. If you are feeling particularly fancy, sprinkle the muffins with a pinch of extra brown sugar just before you bake them!
3 ripe bananas
1/3 c canola or grape seed oil
1/3 c buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 T ground flax seed
3/4 c brown sugar
1 c all purpose flour
1 c white whole wheat flour or standard whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 c chopped walnuts-pecans would be fine too
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the first 7 ingredients until bananas are mashed and everything is evenly incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until barely combined, then add the nuts, stirring the last few times by hand to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 1 dozen count muffin tin or line it with baking papers. Divide the batter evenly into the 12 muffins wells. They will be full, but not overflowing. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until puffed, golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then turn the muffins out onto a cooling rack.
Love a Good Recipe?
Then you’ve come to the right place! I’m Brittany, and I share tested, trusted recipes you’ll love. I prepare & photograph food, obsess over the perfect recipe, and enjoy grins of delight when I serve up something awesome. Enjoy!
