Pecan Cookies

Some people enjoy to bake.  Unfortunately, I am not one of those people.  Majority of people love the preciseness of baking.  The need to measure and add everything at just the right time which would be exactly when the recipe tells you to.  This is exactly why I don't enjoy it.  I like to be creative.  I like to read a recipe, file it in my brain, and then a week later try to recreate it with minor (or sometimes major) adjustments.  If I took this mentality with baking, it would be a disaster.  Regardless, I take up the hobby around the holidays.  I am in two cookie exchanges this year so I thought for one of them I'd try a new recipe.  This recipe is from Cooking Light which is ironic because there is next to nothing that is cooking light about it :)  Either way, the cookies were great.  They were light and crisp.  They could be served after dinner or as a snack with coffee in the morning.  I highly recommend if you need a break from the heavy chocolate cookies that seems to take over the holiday season.

Pecan Cookies
Source:  Cooking Light Magazine, December 2011
Serves:  40 cookies

2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
10 tablespoons of butter
2/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup of powdered sugar
3/4 cup of toasted and chopped pecans
1-2 tablespoons of flour to use on surface to roll out dough

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Using a dry measuring cups and spoons to measure ingredients, combine flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and baking powder in bowl and stir with a whisk. 

In a large mixing bowl, place butter (softened to room temperature) and granulated sugar.  Beat with a mixer on high until light and fluffy.  Add egg, and beat until well blended. 

Beat in vanilla extract.  Reduce mixer speed to low.  Add the flour mixture to butter mixture slowly until combined.  Mix in pecans. Shape dough into a 4 inch round and cover with plastic wrap.  Chill for 1 hour.  Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness.  Using cookie cutters, cut out cookies (2 x 3 inch each).  You will need to re-roll the scraps multiple times to get 40 cookies.  Place cookies 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack. 

Dust cooled cookies with 1/3 cup of powdered sugar. This is most easily done by putting the powdered sugar into a sieve and tapping it above the cookies (this also works with a regular small hand held fine strainer). 

Ratings:
Miss J, 9 out of 10
Moe, 8 out of 10 (he doesn't really like pecans)