Pecan Lace Praline Cookies - My Very Favorites!!!

Pretty exciting news around the Cul de Sac... TWO houses were sold in the same week.   TWO families moved here!


Time for a little welcome to the neighborhood gift...


Hands down, these are my very favorite cookies in the entire world.  Nutty, chewy, crispy, just the right amount of sweet... They may just be the perfect cookie.


So, I put my best foot duck forward with a little welcome package, and off we went with a tin foil duck full of cookies to visit with the folks that will call the police if anything suspicious is happening (I always look out for the people who give me cookies)!

Here's what I did... Adapted from a recipe from Judy, of NO FEAR ENTERTAINING

The orange juice and grated peel in the icing between these gorgeous crispy pecan lace sandwich cookies makes them an ideal accompaniment to any holiday dessert spread.

Makes about 18 

Ingredients

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

Preparation

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.

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. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature.

I was a little lazy this time, and wanted to do an experiment.  I made a thin layer of the goo on a baking sheet. No round cookies.  But, IMMEDIATELY when they were removed from the oven, I used a pizza cutter to cut into rectangles.  They are a little rustic, not as clean as round circles, but they certainly work.  Just match up which ever rectangles are about the same size and sandwich with the buttercream!


Besides, it's Kansas, we are rustic.

One funny story, both the new neighbors (wonderful people by the way) commented that the real estate person (who happens to live in the cul de sac) had a little booklet showing the nice things about the neighborhood... schools, park, stores, garbage collectors (one photo of each), but she has three photos of my annual Labor Day neighborhood pulled pork parties. 


I think I deserve a kickback.


Like I always say, My little Cul de Sac neighborhood is the place to be, and my back yard is where it's at!