Tea and A Treat

Every afternoon at half past three

I have a cup of tea

And a treat.

Mostly in the breakfast room

Where I can look out over the garden

My treat is always a cookie

Homemade

I love these little pecan dandies

from my culinary hero, Ina Garten

I do like cookies small enough to tuck on a saucer

And two seems to be perfect!

Of course, there's more in the larder

for teas this week.

INA GARTEN'S PECAN SANDIES

1 cup pecan halves

2 cups flour, divided

3/4 t. salt

1/2 t. baking powder

2 sticks butter, at room temperature

1/2 c. demerara or turbinado sugar

2 t. vanilla

24 whole pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 350

Place the 1 cup of pecan halves on a sheet pan and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until toasted.    Set aside to cool.    Place the cooled pecans plus 1/4 cup of flour in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until the nuts are finely ground.

Place the mixture in a medium bowl and add the remaining 1 3/4 c. flour, salt, baking powder.    Stir to combine.   In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.    With the mixer on low, add the vanilla and the flour mixture, mixing just until the dough comes together.

Using a small ice cream scoop form the batter into balls about 1 inch in diameter (1 ounce on a scale).   Place the balls 1 inch apart on a sheet pan lined with parchment or silpat.    Press a pecan half into the center of each ball, pressing the pecan halfway down into the cookie.    Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cookies turn golden brown around the edges.     Cool for 5 minutes.    Place on a  wire rack and cool completely.

NOTE:   The cooled cookies may be stored in an airtight container for several days.

It's Tuesday and I'm joining Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage for Tea Time Tuesday and Bernideen for Tea in the Garden