Cookies are for anytime. They are not to be saved for just celebrations, but they can make a celebration grand. They can invoke memories in our past and they can cause a euphoria to make us dream beautiful dreams. The cookie recipe I am going to share with you is this kind of cookie. It is one once you have tasted it that will make you wish the cookie jar was always full of them.This cookie lives up to its name, "MY FAVORITE COOKIE". It is a refrigerator cookie. The cookies on the cookie plate in the front center are these. Sorry I don't have a better picture. If you click on the picture it will enlarge and give you a better view of the cookies.
I came upon this recipe in a cook book from 1974. "The American Family Cookbook". It is written by "Culinary Arts Institute, Chicago". I have used several recipes from this book and recommend highly everyone scrounging through the used book stores for an edition of it. (I have found several hard to find older editions of several cookbooks on ebay.)
December 3, 2011, Hints:
I have been baking some of the cookies and it occurred to me to pass on some hints which I have remembered during this endeavor.
If you have a convection oven and are using it in convections mode lower you temps 25 degrees.
Turn your pans at least once during the baking and exchange the shelves they are on.
MY FAVORITE COOKIE
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs well beaten
1 teas baking soda
1 teas salt
1 teas vanilla
4 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 cups broken pecans
1. Soften butter, add sugars gradually, beating until fluffy. Blend in eggs, baking soda, salt and vanilla.
2. Stir in flour till thoroughly mixed.
3. Fold in pecans. When you are chopping up the nuts do not chop fine. you only want them in pieces. I cut the halves in half and then those pieces in thirds. (when you get to the point you slice the cookies you will see why you don't want the pieces fine.)
4. Tear off 6 pieces of waxed paper, appx 11"x12" (I use the sandwich sheets of waxed paper. They are just the right size and are already precut.) Divide the dough into 8 portions: Shape each portion int a 1 1/2 inch in diameter roll. Wrap in the sheets. (I use the sheet to make the roll so my hands don't get sticky.)
5. Twist the ends of the rolls and chill until firm. I have found chilling most cookie doughs results in a better shaped cookie.
6. Preheat oven to 350. Prepare cookie sheets. (I use parchment paper on my sheets you can also use waxed paper.) When you use parchment you can slide the cookies off the sheet onto the cookie rack, no need for a spatula and the extra handling. The parchment papers can be reused several times during this baking. I always mix several different batches of cookies on the same day and then spend the next day baking them off. Slice each roll into thin cookies (about 1/8 inch thick if you made your nuts smaller this is where they would be dust by the time they baked). They don't spread much so can be placed 1/2 inch apart.
7. Bake at 350 for 5-7 minutes until light brown. (if you use a convetion oven the time will be less and you will have to watch the top and bottom shelf...uneven baking can happen). When done just slide the paper onto the cooling rack removing them when they are cooled.
For more cookie recipes:
New Article on my blog:
"A MYSTERY IN THE MAKING"
A mystery quilt designed with the novice in mind
First Clue to be presented October 16.
Other blog sites by me:
Where I have stories of my cats and other pets
a blog about my courtship with my husband,
and a blog about my most embarrassing moment.
A "Soap box" blog where I do air my opinions.
blogs about the wildflowers on our farm
Organic methods we use, some cooking and some poetry,
blogs about Seed sprouting, insects, and garden pictures
Blog about an endangered beneficial beetle
New Blog:
All recipes, pictures, and writings are my own.
I give credit for items which belong to other people in my blogs .
Please do not copy without
I LOVE your blog--the clean crisp look and such good reading! In my work for a cooking software company (Cook'n, www.dvo.com)one of my duties is to study blogs--especially those that reference cooking, baking, etc. And one of the happy parts of this duty is discovering nice blogs like yours. We share similar interests, so I would like to continue reading. Meanwhile, all the best as you continue to blog!
ReplyDeleteThank you Alice, I also have a blog called organicinstlouis.blogspot.com I feature recipies that use the bounty from my garden. I am afraid I am not too good about updating my blogs. Will try to do better this year! the best to you in 2010...I love the sound of the date. This will be a memorable year. BTw...it is -6 at 8:00AM in my valley.
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