PECAN PIE BITES

Picky-picky Hubby tells me these Pecan Pie Bites are totally addicting. They have a buttery shortbread crust ......  a slightly gooey center and glazed sweet pecans on top. What more can you ask for?  Oh yes, they also freeze exceptionally well!!!

Click on this photo to get a better look

CRUST
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter (room temperature)

Mix the above crust ingredients well and press into a  9" x 13" baking dish that has been lined with parchment or no-stick foil (see note below). This mixture will seem crumbly before you bake it, but don't worry about that. Just pat it evenly into the pan and bake in preheated 350° oven for 20 minutes. If you are using a glass baking pan, bake at 325°.

While the crust is baking, mix up the topping:

TOPPING
3 eggs well beaten
1 cup light corn syrup (I use Karo brand)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 + 2/3 cup chopped pecans

Mix well and pour over partially baked crust, making sure the nuts are evenly spread out. Return to the oven and bake for 25 more minutes.

Cool COMPLETELY in pan.

NOTE:  The Pecan Pie Bite crust does not stick to the pan, but around the edges of the topping, it does like to stick. To combat that, I line my 9" x 13" baking pan with parchment paper or the new Reynolds Easy Release foil, leaving the ends a little long so I can use them as "handles" to lift out the COMPLETELY COOLED recipe. 

Make sure they have cooled this 
to room temperature before

you cut them into bites. 

NOTE:  Since we are empty-nesters, this recipe is too big for us, so I cut the baked recipe into thirds and wrap each one in plastic wrap then again in a zip top freezer bag and freeze them.They freeze VERY well. 

DO NOT CUT THEM INTO "BITES" UNTIL YOU  THAW THEM OUT.

ENJOY !!!

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Sweet and tender, these old fashioned classic shortbread cookies are easy to make and ALWAYS a big hit. Picky-picky husband loves them frosted in pink (for some weird reason), they are one of his all time favorites.

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD COOKIES

2 cups UNsalted butter (room temperature)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon table salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coconut extract

4 cups all purpose flour

(NO EGGS)

The cookie batter in the recipe is fairly heavy, so it works best in a stand mixer if possible.

Add 2 cups (one pound) of room temperature butter and 1 cup regular sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer. Beat until fluffy (about 2 minutes). The last 30 seconds or so, add the salt and extracts and beat until well mixed. (see note about salt)

Add the flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well between each addition.

Dump cookie batter onto counter and divide into 4 sections. Roll each section into a "log" about 2" in diameter. Wrap each "log" in plastic wrap and chill for one hour. You can roll the entire CHILLED log in sprinkles or finely chopped nuts before you slice them if you like.

Pre-heat oven to 350° and slice chilled cookie dough "logs" into 1/4" slices. Place on UNgreased cookie sheet and bake for 18 minutes or until the very edges just start to turn golden.

Cool cookies and frost if you like.  If you aren't going to frost them, roll the sliced cookie's in granulated sugar BEFORE BAKING.

NOTE: If you do not have UNsalted butter on hand (no big deal), just use regular salted  butter, but LEAVE OUT the salt in the recipe.

ENJOY !!!!!