Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Pecan Crunch Cookies.

Gareth had a friend coming home on the school bus with him last week. About half an hour before the bus pulled up I remembered I had made a vague promise to bake something nice for when they got home. I had a woolly recollection it was a promise of cookies. I wasn't exactly sure but what I was sure about was Gareth's elephant like memory. There was no getting away with it, I had half an hour to come up with something. 

I had an open bag of mini M+M's in the kitchen. I'd been sneakily helping myself to them on and off over the last week and there was only a small handful left. What about making cookies with M+M's sprinkled on top? Perfect! I went on-line to search a basic cookie recipe and followed the link to a Cadbury's chocolate chip cookie recipe. Just substitute the chocolate chips for mini M+M's. What could go wrong? Nothing as long as you don't absent mindedly nibble on the sweets as you make the cookie dough! By the time I got to sticking them on the dough balls there were not many left. Enough for a dozen cookies. That left me about 2/3rds of the plain dough left in the bowl. No choc chips in the cupboard... No white chocolate or frozen rasperries... No macadamia nuts... until finally, yes! A packet of pecans! 

Onto each dough ball I squished a pecan nut, put the tray in the oven and hoped for the best. Out of the oven ten minutes later came the most melt in the mouth delicious chewy cookies. They were so good I almost forgot to stand outside for the school bus until I heard the familiar rumble down the street and the slow squeal of brakes on the kerb outside. Off jumped Rhiannon, Gar and Tommy just in time to tuck in to warm cookies and a glass of cold milk. I got the biggest hugs and felt like Mother of the year. All because of a simple recipe that I modified to what I had in the kitchen so it was nothing like what it was supposed to be!

If you fancy trying some for yourself here is the recipe:

125grams (4 1/2 oz) butter 
1 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of castor sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
1 egg
1 1/2 cups of self raising flour
3/4 cup of Cadbury milk chocolate chips. Or Mini M+M's. Or Pecans!

Preheat oven to 160 C (320 F)
Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy
Mix in vanilla essence and egg
Stir in flour until combined
Place one teaspoon sized balls of dough on a non stick baking tray and slightly squish. Scatter choc chips or M+M's or sit a pecan nut on top.
Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes
Cool on a baking tray 
Eat!





















There was only one thing for it. I put the kettle on and sat back to sample some for myself!

6 comments - click here to leave your comment:

  1. YUM!! I just had pecan covered brownies at my friend's house yesterday, I had forgotten all about these tasty nuts!


    ps. I love your heart mug. :)

     
  2. What I wouldn't give for a couple of those cookies right now....breakfast is wearing off and I'm getting hungry! Thanks for sharing your recipe...I don't think you can ever have too many cookie recipes. :)

     
  3. Oh those do look good and chewy. I love the mug in the background. Is that your miserable mug from your sister????

     
  4. Yes! It is my miserable mug! Only thing is the girls have taken a liking to it too and often steal it before I get my hands on it!

     
  5. oh no dont do this to me! Im on a fitness competition and im not eating any carbs... aarrrggghhhhh

     
  6. Oh boy...I need to get baking! These look fabulous!