Let’s Eat-Desserts

Cookies Part 1

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Another cookie I thoroughly enjoy making – and especially eating!! – is what I call Pecan Puffs.  I’ve heard some people call them Italian Wedding Cookies, and other names, but I’ve always called them Pecan Puffs.  My Aunt Jessie gave me the recipe, and I make them every year.  I’ve tasted some that other people make, and I really like mine the best (of course)!

PECAN PUFFS

Photo credit Google Search and Dinner then Dessert

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. butter (4 sticks)

½ cup granulated sugar

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

2-3 cups ground/chopped pecans

4 cups cake flour

DIRECTIONS:

Set the butter out in a large mixing bowl to warm (covered with plastic wrap).  When soft, add and cream the sugar into the butter.  Add the vanilla extract.  Add the pecans and flour alternately, mixing well.

Bake on greased baking sheet at 300^o for 45 minutes.  Or place parchment paper on the cookie sheet, and cookies on top of that (that’s my favorite way to do it!).

Let  the cookies cool, then roll in powdered sugar (pour some powdered sugar into a ZIP-lock bag, place a handful of cookies in the bag and shake it well to coat the cookies). 

Keep in a tightly covered container (Tupperware/Rubbermaid).

Yield:  about 9 or 10 dozen cookies

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Yet another cookie that I am thinking of making this Christmas, is what I call Chocolate Buttersweets.  I got this recipe from the now-famous Mabel and her daughter, Judy in Wiesbaden, West Germany, 1968.  They are actually some of my favorite cookies, but I haven’t made them in quite a while.  I’ve decided it might be a nice addition to the ones I usually make at Christmas time.

Roll the dough into small balls, about the size of large marbles (1” or slightly larger).

CHOCOLATE BUTTERSWEETS

Photo credit Google search and lovefoodies.com

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

2-2½ cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

Cream butter.  Add sugar, salt and vanilla; cream well.

Gradually add flour.

Shape by teaspoons into balls.  Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.  Press hole in center of each (thumb print)

Bake at 350̊ for 12-15 minutes, or until light brown.

Cool….fill….frost.

FILLING:

Soften 3-oz cream cheese.

Blend in 1 cup confectioner’s sugar (sifted – no lumps), 2 Tbsp flour, 1 tsp vanilla and cream well.

Stir in ½ cup chopped nuts and ½ cup flaked coconut.

Fill the hole in each cookie with filling.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING:

Melt ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels and 2 Tbsp butter with 2 Tbsp water over low heat, stirring occasionally. 

Add ½ cup confectioner’s sugar and beat smooth.

Frost cookies.

This makes about 36 cookies.  Double the cookie recipe – because the filling and frosting recipe makes more than what you need for one batch of cookies. ~~

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years .

  Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing. Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.

After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins as well as a great-grandson and a great-granddaughter. She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.