Pecan Pie Sandwich Cookies
At the end of the Thanksgiving meal, I do want to eat all the desserts but I do not need to eat them all up. So this year my addition to the others was a pecan pie sandwich cookie. These are so insanely good, almost decadent. Next year I would make them either smaller. One small bite it all you need. This might even be as big as a piece of small pie. We ate the last two for dessert last night. A week and a day later. They last!
I got this recipe from the New York Times although I doubled the filling. There was some left over which I kept and plan to warm up and dribble over some vanilla ice cream.
FOR THE COOKIES:
- 1 1/2 cups pecan halves toasted
- 2 cups flour
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup confectioners sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
FOR THE FILLING:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 2/3 cup dark corn syrup
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 3/4 cups pecan halves toasted and chopped
Combine the pecans and 1/2 cup of flour in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground.
In a standing mixer, beat the butter, both sugars and salt until smooth. Add the pecan mixture and the rest of the flour and beat at a low speed until the mixture comes together. Press the dough into 1/2 inch four squares and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.
When you are ready to make the cookie part preheat the oven to 350. Roll out the squares to 1/4 inch thickness and using a cutter to make 2 1/2 inch diameter circles. Take what is left of the dough and roll it out again and make more to finish off all the cookies. If the dough gets too sticky just put it back in the fridge to get firm again before rolling and cutting. Bake on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet for 8-12 minutes or until browned.
To make the filling combined the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in a small pan. Clip a candy thermometer on the side stirring occasionally until the mixture gets to 230 degrees. Remove from the heat and add in the vanilla. Stir in the pecans until completely covered.
Take a cookie and scoop about a tablespoon of the mixture on top and spread over the cookie and then top with another cookie. Voila. Continue until the cookies are all used up.
So good!!!