1.24.2009

Want to wreck your diet?

How about cancel out all that hard work you put in at the gym this morning? These cookies may just do it for you.

In November/December when I was a baking fiend, I was spending a ridonkulous amount of money at the grocery store on flour, sugar, butter, and all that good stuff. Gold Medal flour happened to be on sale quite a bit. The bag also had a coupon for Hershey's Chocolate Chips and a recipe for Caramel-Pecan Snappers. When I bought the first 3 bags, I saved the coupon, but didn't think much of the recipe. After buying a few more bags the recipe grew on me. When I got the urge to bake last weekend, I knew exactly what I wanted to make.

After I'd started on these I realized I was out of Cream of Tartar. I just threw in a little more vanilla to make for that. The cookies turned out good, but I really want to make them again with the Cream of Tartar. The cookie part itself isn't really a sugar cookie, it reminded me of a shortbread cookie. The topping of pecans, caramel, and chocolate was perfect. It was just enough sweetness without overpowering the actual cookie. This is sort of like Turtle Candy.

My only gripe with this recipe is the amount it's supposed to yield. The recipe says 3dozen cookies. I got 17 cookies.

Caramel-Pecan Snappers
Source: Gold Medal Flour Bag



Ingredients:
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Shortening
1/ Cup Butter, Softened
1tsp Vanilla
1 Egg
1 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 Cup Pecans, Chopped
36 Caramels, unwrapped (I used a bag of the caramel bits)
2 Tablespoons Milk
1 Cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Heat oven to 350. Mix sugar, shortening, margarine, vanilla and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, cream of tarter, baking soda and salt.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with greased bottom of glass dipped into sugar. I didn't like the way that turned out, so I ended up using the back of my cookie scoop. Press pecans onto cookies.

Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until set, but not brown. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

Place caramels and milk in small microwavable bowl. Microwave uncovered on High 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute, until smooth. Spoon over cookies. Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl on high 1 to 2 minutes, stir until smooth. Spoon melted chocolate over caramel. I put the chocolate in a plastic bag and piped it over the caramel, then with the back of a spoon smoothed it out. Cool completely, about 30 min. YIELD: 3 dozen cookies

2 comments:

The Ochs Family said...

I really think my diet needs ruining with these! I too have a hundred lbs of flour, sugar and butter from the holidays...I guess more cookies are in order.

allsmilesinkc said...

I do not believe for a second that you eat ANY of this.