COOKING BY DEI

COOKING ByDei

Shelma Dei shares her ‘butter pecans’ recipe

I am not the typical baker so I thought I would be a little adventurous and try my luck with baking some homemade cookies. I thought of my childhood and what favourite biscuits I loved and devoured during my youth. The top three that came to mind were: Maryland cookies, Jammy Dodgers and Boasters. Boasters were my absolute favourite rather generous cookie made up of chunks of hazelnuts. I decided to try and make a similar cookie. I thought of what I could add to a cookie, first choice was walnuts but then I decided on pecan nuts due to their pretty autumn brown colouring. I must say the process of making cookies is fascinating to me; might I add, the large amounts of butter used to make cookies, I had no idea! Happy cooking !

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups (185g) chopped pecans •1 1/2 tablespoons (21g) butter

FOR THE BUTTER PECAN COOKIES:

•1 cup (227g) unsalted butter •2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (287g all-purpose flour (dip and sweep method) •2 tablespoons (14g) cornstarch •1 teaspoon baking soda •1 teaspoon salt •1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar •1 cup (198g) packed dark or light brown sugar •2 large eggs at room temperature •2 teaspoons vanilla

TO DECORATE (optional): • Pecan halves • Granulated sugar • Sea salt Hey Guys, My name is Shelma Dei, my love for food stems from my childhood and also being rather fussy when it comes to food. I am very passionate about food and love to create dishes that spring into mind. I love to experiment with different ingredients, often things you wouldn’t expect to put together. Follow @cookingbydei

METHOD

Sauté the chopped pecans and butter in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant and toasted, about 3-4 minutes. Stir frequently and keep an eye on the small crumbs, they will brown quicker than the bigger pieces. Set aside to cool.

FOR THE BUTTER PECAN COOKIES:

Brown the butter: Heat the butter in a light colored skillet over medium-high heat. It will come to a boil. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the solid particles at the bottom turn golden brown. Keep an eye on it carefully towards the end, it can burn quickly. Immediately pour into a large mixing bowl to stop the browning. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

Whisk sugars into cooled browned butter. Whisk in vanilla and eggs until thoroughly combined.

Pour dry ingredients into bowl and stir until no streaks of flour remain.

Stir in buttered pecans.

Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic down on the surface of the dough. Chill for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. If you chill longer than 3 hours, let dough sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes so the dough is easier to scoop.

TO BAKE THE COOKIES:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll dough into balls, about 3 tablespoons each (60g). Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet. For optional decoration see notes.

Bake on the middle rack until the edges are set and just beginning to turn golden brown, about 9-12 minutes.

The tops of the cookies should still be quite soft when you remove them from the oven, and may even appear slightly underbaked in center. They will firm up while cooling.

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