Monday, December 13, 2010

Christmas Baking. Day 4. Cookie #13. Caramel Pecan Cookies.

We're talking serious cookies here. If you recall, in my last post, I made a Basic Butter Cookie dough, which I doubled. For the first half, I made a brownie. For the second half, I'm making Caramel Pecan cookies.
Instead of the 9 x 13 inch pans called for in the recipe, I'm using 12 x 16, so's I can get more cookies out of them. Divide dough into two pans and ...
... using plastic over top, roll out the dough evenly.
After baking, let the base cool for 20 minutes while you make the topping. And leave the oven at 375 degrees. Caramel Pecan Topping Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup heavy cream 6 TB unsalted butter 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt 2 cups pecans, chopped, toasted, and cooled Grease 9 x 13 inch metal pan, then line with foil, and grease foil. Cook sugar in heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted to a deep golden caramel. Tilt pan and carefully pour in cream Caramel will harden and bubble and steam vigorously. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla, salt, and pecans. Immediately spread topping over cooled crust and bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. I use a rolling pin to crush nuts. Heh. 12. Then toast 'em.
My mise en place: 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup heavy cream 3/4 stick (6 TB) unsalted butter 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt 2 cups chopped, toasted, and cooled pecans
Pour sugar in heavy saucepan over moderate heat.
Leave it alone until it starts to melt.
Keep on cooking, stirring occasionally with a fork until ...
... sugar is melted to a deep golden caramel.
Slowly, pour in cream down the sides of the pan, which I can't do since I can't tilt the pan, pour in the cream, and shoot pictures at the same time. Rosie, surprisingly, does have her limits.
Be prepared for great bubbling and steaming. Continue to cook over moderately low heat ...
... until caramel is dissolved.
Remove from heat and stir in salt ...
... vanilla, and ...
... and butter.
Stir until butter is melted.
Add in toasted pecans.
Immediately pour onto cooled butter cookie base.
Spread evenly.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, until it's bubbling in the center. Cool completely in pan on rack.
Like I said, this is a serious cookie. For serious cookie eaters.

No comments: