Mini Pecan Pie Cookies

Wonderful mini pecan pies. Perfect for cookie parties where you want to make something slightly different. You can spice up the cookies by adding cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg to the cookie mix!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a saucepan, and stir in the confectioners' sugar and corn syrup until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often, and stir in the pecans until well combined. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes to chill.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift the flour and baking powder together in a bowl, and set aside.
3. Beat brown sugar, 3/4 cup butter, egg, and vanilla extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the flour mixture until well mixed. Pinch off about 1 tablespoon of dough, and roll it into a ball. Press the dough into the bottom of an ungreased cupcake pan cup, and use your thumb to press the dough into a small piecrust shape, with 1/4-inch walls up the sides of the cupcake cup. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Fill each little crust with about 1 teaspoon of the prepared pecan filling.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the cookie shells are lightly browned, 10 to 13 minutes. Watch closely after 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool in the cupcake pans for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to finish cooling.

Yummy Pecan Pralines

Pecans are cooked to the soft ball stage with brown sugar, white sugar, evaporated milk and butter and then beaten and poured on a slab to firm up in these sweet, chewy candies.

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/4 cups pecan halves
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Generously grease a large slab or baking sheet.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, white sugar and milk. Bring to a boil. Stir in butter, pecans and vanilla. Heat, without stirring, to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
3. Beat until thickened, then pour immediately onto prepared surface and let rest until firm and completely cool before cutting.