“Do you say: care-a mel or kar-muhl,” asked the grocery store checker as she scanned my package of candy?
“Hmm, I say cara- mel.”
“No, no. It’s car-mel, just two syllables,” said the bagger, a hard-working high school student.
“Well, whatever…Don’t you just love them?” I asked.
“Oh my yes,” gushed the checker. “They are sooo good, but, you know, most people buy caramels at Halloween.”
“Well, I found a new cookie recipe (in Rachael Ray’s magazine) and I’m trying it for Christmas.” So, I went home and baked a batch.
About an hour later I heard from my teen-age daughter, “Mom, why haven’t you made these before? They are the best ever.” And I have to agree. The round white cookies are definitely chewy, yet melt in your mouth with a delicate buttery-nut taste. They remind me of what I call Russian tea cakes, but have a velvety oozing center with a hint of pecan pie.
Every year I try a new recipe or two at the holidays and usually discard them in favor of traditional favorites. But, this new cookie recipe (below) is a keeper.
And here’s a photo of Laura baking her batch of sugar cookies for a cookie exchange party.
Pecan Caramel Surprises
With thanks to Rachael Ray, Rachael Ray Magazine, December 2008-January 2009 issue, with additional hints from Debi.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans (3 ½ ounces)
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, sliced
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup flour
- 24 soft caramel candies, unwrapped
- ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
Directions
- Using a food processor, finely chop the pecans with 1 tablespoon sugar for 20 seconds or until ground. Transfer to a bowl.
- In the food processor, pulse the butter, remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the vanilla until combined, scraping the bowl occasionally.
- Add the flour and pulse again to combine.
- Stir into the pecan mixture. “At this point, the batter does not really hold together, but don’t worry. You will use your hands to form balls around the caramels.”
- Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.
- Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll about 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball.
- Press a caramel into the center, and then roll to enclose the candy. “Add a little more dough if needed.”
- Repeat with remaining dough and place balls 2 inches apart of the cookie sheets.
- Bake until lightly colored, about 13-15 minutes.
- Let cool about 10 minutes and carefully dredge in the confectioners’ sugar.
- Dust again with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Makes: 2 dozen exactly
The cookies keep well at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap.
