Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Pecan-Chestnut Lacy Cookies

I love pecans, chestnuts, lace and cookies. These cookies are of my favorite recent recipe creations, with the chestnuts amplifying the nutty flavor and providing a wonderful chewy texture. I made these cookies with smoked salt to evoke "chestnuts roasting on an open fire." They were so delicious I will make chestnut soup and other chestnutty goodies with smoked salt, too.

1 4-ounce stick softened butter (8 tablespoons)
1 cup (I used raw) sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon cinnamon
5 ounces roasted chestnuts
1/2 teaspoon salt (smoked salt is AMAZING!)
7 to 8 ounces coarsely chopped pecans (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone liners. Combine butter, sugar and corn syrup in food processor. Add chestnuts and process until it makes a smooth puree. Then add and pulse nuts until chopped, and add salt; then pulse in egg. Drop some batter by generous tablespoonfuls onto lined baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart (cookies will spread).

Bake cookies until flattened and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Gently slide parchment paper or silicone with cookies onto rack; cool completely. Transfer cookies to paper towels. Repeat with remaining batter, lining cooled baking sheet again for each batch. (Can be made ahead. Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.)