Pecan Shortbread Teacakes

 

I was at the bookstore and I always look at the magazines. We get a couple of British cooking magazines electronically, which means that there are fewer new items to look at. This time of year, there are quite a few fall baking magazines out there, and while I need one of those like I need a hole in my head, I thought that this magazine had some different recipes. Since I knew I would be going on a trip, I thought it would be good to look at while traveling.

While I was traveling (stuck on a boat), I went through the magazine and marked all the recipes that I was interested in. I’ll be honest that I probably won’t make all the recipes, but I sure would like to! Some of them I could make after the fall, but some are so specific, like the cookies that call for maple. I picked up some maple syrup while I was on holiday, so hopefully I will get to that recipe!

I am back at work this week, and I wanted to bring cookies to our opening retreat. I didn’t have all the time in the world, so I selected this recipe which was fairly quick. The teacakes are shortbread cookies, which can take a long time to bake, but in the muffin cups they bake up in about 12 minutes. I used Elliot pecans that my husband had bought from the pecan farmer. They are slightly smaller and perfect for this recipe. I ended up making too much glaze as I used a full tablespoon of liqueur and had to adjust. These cookies are good, and that brown sugar/run glaze made these excellent!

Pecan Shortbread Teacakes

1 cup butter, room temperature

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

¼ teaspoon salt

36 pecan halves

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1-1/2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon butter

¾ cups powdered sugar

½ tablespoon rum

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 36 mini muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium until light. Stir in the vanilla. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour and salt, to make a soft dough.

Scoop the dough into the prepared pan, about a 1-inch ball for each muffin indentation. Lightly press a pecan half into the center of each muffin cup.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned along the edges. Allow the cookies to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Once the cookies are cool, make the icing. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, milk and butter. Heat over medium heat, bring to a boil, and boil for one minute. Remove from the heat and cool 5 minutes. Beat in the powdered sugar and brandy, making a smooth icing. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cookies.

Recipe from Taste of Home Fall Baking