Bourbon Pecan Crackle Cookies ~ classic holiday cookies that should really be upgraded to year round treats ~ if you love chocolatey brownies, you’re going to love these.
Today I’m embarking on a weekend of baking. I’m making three different cookies that get formed into balls and rolled in sugar of some kind. First up are these dark chocolate crackles, they’ve always been one of my favorites. They’re the kind with the crunchy outside and the soft brownie-like interior.
For a successful early holiday baking experience you need to assemble your arsenal…preferably early in the morning after a good sleep. Clear the counters and set out the basics: flours, sugars, baking powder and soda, extra measuring cups and spoons, etc. I bring out large canisters every fall to streamline all the seasonal baking. Line them up, tops off. Also set out a pile of dish towels.
I opened up my Martha Stewart cookie app and picked the crackles. I’ve added pecans and bourbon for a little something extra.
Be careful not to overbake these…think of them as tiny brownies…you don’t want them to be dry.
One down, two to go. I’ll be sending them home with my daughter and her friends for their drive back to college, after a few quality control checks…
Also try ~
~~~adapted from Martha Stewart
Bourbon Pecan Crackle Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
- 1 cup toasted pecans, finely ground in a small processor
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp bourbon
for rolling:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate carefully in the microwave. I use the defrost setting or 50% power. Start with 30 seconds and stir, checking every 15 seconds until it's just melted. Set aside.
- Grind the pecans in a small processor. Then put them in a bowl along with the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Cream the butter and sugars till fluffy and then add the eggs, vanilla and bourbon. Mix in the slightly cooled chocolate, and blend. Mix in the nut and flour mixture just until combined. The dough will be soft. Cover and chill for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Shape the dough into 1" balls and first roll in the granulated sugar, then in the confectioner's. Bake on parchment or silpat lined baking sheets for 15 to 20 minutes, check them at 15, if the characteristic crackles have appeared, and they're slightly firm to the touch, they're done.
- Cool on racks. You can sift more powdered sugar on top of the cookies after they've cooled for a whiter look.
i can’t think of two add-ins finer than bourbon and pecans. 🙂
Sue, these are an irresistible temptation. I’m going to dig deep and find some time to bake them. They truly sound delicious. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
Oh, my gosh, these look fabulous, Sue! I’m always on the look out for new Christmas cookies to bake…and your yummy cookies would be a wonderful addition 🙂
Thanks! They look really good. 🙂
Ooh anything with dark chocolate has me at “hello”. These look especially tantalising drenched in sugar.
Gerlinde—well, I ate them fresh when they were baked, and the rest got packed off to others, but I would guess they’d be best eaten within a couple of days or frozen. They’re so small they probably dry out quickly.
I love how these cookies look and can just imagine all tht white sugar fluttering down my front as I knosh one! So tasty-looking!