Pecan Lace Sandwich Cookies with Orange Buttercream

When I first made this recipe, I thought I had done it all wrong. The dough was barely existant (looked like enough for maybe 6 cookies), the texture was greasy and sticky (not like normal dough) and there were no levening ingredients (no eggs, baking soda, etc.). Then, when I read I was only to put 1 teaspoon of dough on the baking sheet per cookie I was certain this was destined for failure.

My fear was clearly unwarranted because I had never made a lace cookie before. Lace cookies are named for the lace-like holes in the cookie when they are baked. They are light, crisp and delicate, and require nothing to leven because they spread (and don’t worry, they really do spread!). So, when you know that what you think feels wrong is indeed right, these cookies are insanely simple to make!

The cookie is flavorful and crispy and the icing is amazing. You don’t need much icing to make them yummy – and too much might make them sickly sweet. Another word of advice is to make all the balls when the dough is warm. So, when you fill your cookie sheet and put it in the oven, roll up the remainder of the balls and place on a place so you have them ready to go before the dough hardens and gets tough to work with.

This is a great holiday recipe and looks so much more complex than it is to make.

So, when you are looking at your dough like you have done something wrong – trust in yourself and throw them in the oven. You too will be surprised to pull a delicious lace cookie out 11 minutes later!

Thanks to Bon Appetit for this one!

PECAN LACE SANDWICH COOKIES WITH ORANGE BUTTERCREAM
Makes about 18

Cookies:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 cup coarsely ground pecans (about 4 ounces)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon orange juice
3/4 teaspoon grated orange peel

For cookies:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir butter, sugar, and corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in flour. Add nuts and vanilla; stir to combine.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until bubbling and lightly browned, about 11 minutes. Cool on sheets 10 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely.

For filling:
Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Spread 1 teaspoon filling onto bottom of 1 cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down, pressing lightly to adhere. Repeat with remaining cookies. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature.)

Double-Nut Maple Bars

If anyone has been to my house, they know how large my cookbook cabinet is. Rows and rows of possibilities – old and new, salty and sweet. There also is a cookbook annex in the basement that has yet another plethora of recipes just waiting to be sauteed, sliced, simmered and savored. And, with the internet these days, do I really need any more?

That HAD to be a rhetorical question because the answer is, of course, yes. And, when Bon Appetit had on their facebook page that you could get their new cookbook Just Desserts as a pre-order for half the price, it was a no brainer. Now that my baking infatuation has continued to grow and grow, this book would clearly make it worse – beautiful glossy photos along with the best of Bon Appetit’s sweet treats.

The day it arrived, I settled into my sunroom with a glass of wine and dove in. I read it with the intensity many would read a trashy romance novel – and yes, I read my cookbooks cover to cover.

This recipe was my first trial out of the cookbook. I had recently bought some grade B maple syrup and wanted to keep using it up, so when I saw these bars, I thought it would be the ideal way to use some up.

These are different than my normal cakes, cookies and brownies – it is a shortbread crust with a sticky maple, pecan, caramel filling. Even with making the crust, I was able to make this in less than 1 hour. It was AMAZING – not to mention gone in one day. The sweetness of the topping combined with the texture of the crust is the perfect combination, and a great way to “mix up” my baking with something different.

Not only is this post an ode to these bars, but also an ode to Just Desserts by Barbara Fairchild, from which many of my kitchen creations will surely emerge.

DOUBLE-NUT MAPLE BARS
Makes 16

For crust:
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon whole milk

For filling:
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8 x 8 x 2-inch metal baking pan. Combine flour, sugar and salt in processor and blend. Add butter and process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine egg yolk and milk in small bowl. Drizzle egg mixture into processor; process using on/off turns just until dough clumps together but is still dry. Transfer dough crumbs to prepared pan. Press crumbs onto bottom and halfway up sides of pan. Bake until crust is set and pale golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer crust to rack and cool.

Make filling:
Combine maple syrup, sugar, cream and butter in heavy medium saucepan. Bring mixture to boil. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in nuts and vanilla.

Pour filling over crust, spreading nuts evenly bake until filling bubbles all over, about 8 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely. Cut into bars and serve at room temperature. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store cookies between sheets of wax paper in airtight container at room temperature.)