Jamie says: I remember my Mother making a delicious pecan cookie with confectioner’s sugar and jam. When I asked her about it, she told me those were two different cookies. I guess I combined two good memories into one. So, I asked my mom for the pecan cookie recipe and decided I would try adding jam to it. The recipe, titled Pecan Puffs, actually came from my Mom’s neighbor in Brooklyn, New York. I slightly modified the recipe. I preheated the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. I then beat 1 stick of butter until it was creamy and then beat in 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract. I measured 1 cup of pecans and then ground them in a blender. Next, I measured 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt into a sifter. I added the ground pecans to the butter mixture followed by the ingredients in the sifter. I stirred the ingredients together until they were well-mixed. I then spooned balls of the dough onto greased (using PAM Cooking Spray) baking sheets. I made a thumb print in the middle and Kathryn filled them with strawberry jam (not recommended for future baking). I baked them in the oven for about 40 minutes. The recipe made about 1 1/2 dozen cookies. (I guess I make big cookies because the recipe said it would make double that amount.) When I took them out of the oven, the jam had exploded (spilled out onto the baking sheet). I then put the cookies on a plate and sifted confectioners’ sugar on top. I then added more jam (because there was virtually none left in the cookie) on top. (Next time, I would bake the cookies with a thumb print in the middle without the jam, then add the confectioners’ sugar followed by the jam.) Despite the mess, the cookies were so delicious. They were moist, buttery, and sweet. They look really festive, too.
Nutrition Note: Try freezing cookies and sweets. They last a lot longer (months) than storing them at room temperature. They are also out of sight, which makes them easier to enjoy in moderation. And you won’t feel like you have to eat them soon because they will spoil.
Two Sisters, One Kitchen 