Cocoa Pecan Cookies

Cocoa Pecan Cookies

Makes sixteen 4-inch cookies

Cocoa Pecan Cookies 

Sometimes all that is needed is a little sweet something to nibble on. I wanted bite sized and definitely chocolate. I was looking for a “grown-up” cookie recently for a dinner party when I came across one of my favorites. It is a big ultrathin, ultra-crispy cocoa cookie, with a hint of butterscotch flavor and lots of toasty nuts…topped with a drizzle of more chocolate. Perfection.

• 1½ C (6 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 Tb unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• Generous ½ tsp salt
• 10 Tb (5 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/3 C (2.33 ounces) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 C (2.33 ounces) granulated sugar
• 2 Tb plus 2 tsp light corn syrup
• 2 Tb whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
• 1 C (4 ounces) chopped pecans (or walnuts)
• Whole nutmeg for grating (optional)
• 3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (optional) 

Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together the butter, sugars, corn syrup, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in the flour mixture. Stir in the nuts. Cover and chill dough until is it firm enough to scoop, a couple of hours at least, preferably overnight.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of oven. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Divide the dough into sixteen equal portions (about 2 Tb each). Arrange 6 pieces of dough well apart on each lined cookie sheet; remembering the cookies will spread to 4 inches as they bake. With the heel of your hand, flatten each piece of dough until it is 3 inches in diameter. Flatten the remaining 4 pieces of dough on another sheet of parchment, set aside.

Bake the two sheets for 15-18 minutes, until cookies are very thin, evenly colored all over, and just beginning to darken very slightly at the edges; rotate the sheets from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.

Slide the parchment liners onto racks to cool completely. Bake the third batch. While the cookie is warm, lightly grate fresh nutmeg over the top.

Melt 3 oz of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate and drizzle a little over each cooled cookie. Let the chocolate set before storing the cookies layered between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Larue