Penny Eisenberg: Recipe - Chocolate Pecan Purim Cookies

Yummm

Chocolate Pecan Purim Cookies

If you make these with a triangle cut-out in the center, they look more like Purim cookies. If you don’t have a triangle cutter, they still make delicious mishloah minot (Purim gifts). Don’t just save them for Purim, though – they’ll be a hit anytime of the year. Warning – these cookies are not for those on a diet!

Serving Size: 35

Serve on: Purim, Shabbat

Dairy or Pareve

1-1/2 cups unsalted butter – softened
(for Pareve use unsalted pareve stick margarine)
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups pecans
3 cups all-purpose flour (390 grams)
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/2 pound semisweet chocolate
(for pareve use pareve chocolate)

1. In a mixer bowl, on medium speed, beat the butter until lightened in texture. Add the sugar and beat 5 minutes until light in color and texture. Beat in the vanilla.

2. Place the pecans, flour, salt and cinnamon in a processor bowl. Pulse-process until the nuts are finely ground.

3. Add the flour mixture to the butter, and beat on low speed, until well mixed and forming a dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with racks in the upper and lower positions. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

5. In a jumbo zip-lock bag (cut open on 3 sides). roll 1/4 of the dough to 1/8". Cut out cookies using a 2 –inch round cookie cutter. On half of the cookies cut out a center hole using a 1/2-inch round cookie cutter (if you have a triangle cutter, this looks great for Purim). Repeat with the remaining dough.

6. Place in the oven, and bake for 7 minutes. Switch the lower cookie sheet to the upper rack, and vice versa. Continue to bake for another 6-8 minutes, until the cookies are golden. Slide the parchment onto cooling racks, and let the cookies cool completely.

7. Melt the chocolate (in a microwave on medium heat, or over hot water). Spread a thin layer of chocolate on the flat side of the cookies without the holes and top with the cookies with the holes. (do only a few at a time so that the chocolate doesn’t harden before you put on the tops). For even more decorative cookies, chocolate can also be drizzled over the tops. Let the chocolate harden before storing.

Cookies are best eaten within 2 days, but can be frozen for 3 months.