Bourbon Bacon Butter Pecan Cookies

If y’all are looking for a decadent cookie for your Christmas season, this may be just the one. It is not to sweet like many of our Christmas cookies are, and the flavors are all amped up a bit by browning the butter and roasting the pecans in butter before adding to the cookie batter. You are definately going to want to add this one to you Christmas cookie list. It is a keeper.

 

Ingredients/Directions:

Buttered Pecans:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup crushed pecans

Add the butter to a cast iron skillet and melt over medium heat.  Add the crushed pecans, stirring them into the butter.  Cook over medium heat 4-5 minutes until lightly golden brown.  Then remove from heat and set aside.

Browned Butter:

• 1 stick of unsalted butter.

In a large sauce pan melt the stick of butter over medium heat until golden brown.  Watch carefully not to burn.  Once it reaches a deep rich amber color with small brown bits in bottom of pan, remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl.

Cookie Dough:

• The browned butter from above
• 1/2 (4 ounces) block cream cheese
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup (packed) brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 teaspoons bourbon or whiskey (optional)
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 3 strips bacon cooked and crumbled
• pecan halves to decorate tops of cookies

In a small bowl combine the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder

1. To the large bowl of browned butter add the cream cheese and both sugars.  Mix will to combine.
2. Add the whiskey and vanilla and stir well to combine.
3. Add each egg separately to the mixture and stir well to combine before adding next egg.
4. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and mix well to combine
5. Now fold in the buttered pecans & bacon and mix to combine into dough.
6. Refrigerate 1-3 hours
7. Remove from refrigerator and using a medium cookie scoop measure out 12 cookie dough balls and place evenly spread our on cooking sheet.  Giving a bit of room to spread
8. Push a pecan half into the top of each cookie dough ball, pressing lightly to cushion slightly into the dough
9. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 10-12 minutes till golden brown
10. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes on cookie sheet before moving to a cooling rack.
11. Repeat 7-10 until all cookie dough is used.