Butter Pecan and Chewy Molasses Cookies

Chewy Molasses Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 C. all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 C. sugar
• 3/4 C. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 C. molasses

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
2. In a shallow bowl, place 1/2 cup sugar; set aside.
3. With an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining cup of sugar until combined.
4. Beat in egg and then molasses until combined.
5. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in dry ingredients, just until a dough forms.
6. Pinch off and roll dough into balls, each equal to 1 tablespoon. Roll balls in reserved sugar to coat. 
7. Arrange balls on baking sheets, about 3 inches apart.
8. Bake, one sheet at a time, until edges of cookies are just firm, 10 to 15 minutes (cookies can be baked two sheets at a time, but they will not crackle uniformly).
9. Cool 1 minute on baking sheets; transfer to racks to cool completely.

Butter Pecan Cookies

Ingredients: 

• 3/4 C. pecans
• 1/2 C. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 C. sugar, plus more for coating
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 C. all-purpose flour
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet, toast pecans until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Let cool completely; finely chop.
2. With an electric mixer, cream butter and 1/3 cup sugar until light, about 1 minute.
3. Beat in vanilla, salt, and flour, scraping down sides of bowl, just until dough comes together.
4. Fold in pecans.
5. Separate dough into 12 pieces; squeeze dough to shape into balls. Roll in sugar.
6. Place, 3 inches apart, on a baking sheet. Gently flatten with the bottom of a glass.
7. Sprinkle with sugar.
8. Bake until golden brown, rotating sheet halfway through, about 15 minutes.
9. Sprinkle with more sugar. Cool cookies on a wire rack.