Butter Pecan Nuggets, ABK's Christmas Cookie Extravaganza and The Mighty Wind of 2011

Do you like my Looooong title?
Three items to cover in this post. You remembered this blog (besides being a cooking blog) is also my lame attempt at journaling, right?
First. This in my December Secret Recipe Club post. This recipe comes from Shelby, author of:
"The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch".  Shelby  records some of her food adventures for posterity sake. I'm not sure what her hubs name is, she only refers to him as "Grumpy".  My kids thought this was very funny. Anyway, Shelby's blog is filled with yummy looking dishes, but since I was looking for a cookie to start off our Christmas Cookie Extravaganza week, I chose her "Butter Pecan Nuggets". Oh my. Great choice. I love a variety of textures and flavors on my Christmas cookie tray, so this cookie fits the unique shape category.  So cute. It looks like a little cookie package. The dough is all wrapped around the pecan half inside. Drizzled with a little icing and a few festive sprinkles, this cookie is a keeper!  Really simple. Only a few ingredients. I know you are going to love it. Do you still believe me every time I tell you that?
Second. The second annual Christmas Cookie Extravaganza. All week. Christmas cookie recipes. You're gonna love this too.

Dozens of trees down in our cemetery. 

Third. If you live in Utah, unless you are living in a cave, you heard about or experienced the 100 mile per hour winds last Thursday. Our little community weathered the storm last week.  Trees toppled over, fences gone, power out, semi trucks blown over. So many trees gone. Like an old friend passing. So sad.

The tennis court survived, but the trees are history.

Neighborhood trees down...

  Twenty million dollars worth of damage. It looked like a war zone. Right here in Btown. In the end, the most remarkable thing to me was not the damage, but the outpouring of service from people in the community. There have been a steady stream of volunteers working to clean up the trees and debris since the winds died down Thursday afternoon. The buzzing of chain saws has been constant.  A job that would have taken weeks to clean up has been done in a few days.
Good job Btown. I love you.

Miracle workers!

Butter Pecan Nuggets
Grumpy's Honey Bunch
print recipe

3/4 cup pecan halves
1 cup butter
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4-5 teaspoons half and half or cream or milk
colored or clear sugars

Spread pecans in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Toast in a 325 oven for about 12-15 minutes or til golden. Remove and cool.

In a medium saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar. Heat and stir til butter is melted. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Cool.

Stir in flour til well mixed. Shape into 3/4 inch balls. Press a toasted pecan half into each ball and enclose nut in dough to form an oval. Place on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or til done. Remove and cool.

Stir together powdered sugar, almond extract and enough cream or milk to make of drizzling consistency. Place frosting in decorating bag and cut at the very tip to make a small hole. Drizzle over cookies. Sprinkle with colored sugar. Yield: 40 nuggets.

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