Mean Chefs Pecan Cardamom Sand Cookies Recipes

PECAN CARDAMOM BAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.
• In a large bowl, cream together 1cup of butter, white sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of vanilla. Combine the flour, cardamom and salt; stir into the batter until it forms a soft dough. Spread evenly in the prepared pan. Brush the top with egg white and sprinkle pecans over the top.
• Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Prepare the frosting while the cookies bake.
• Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over low heat until it starts to brown. Remove from the heat and stir in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Stir in enough milk to achieve a drizzling consistency. Drizzle frosting onto the bars when warm. Cool, then cut into bars.

MEAN CHEF'S PECAN CARDAMOM SAND COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• I an electric mixer cream butter, shortening, both sugars and vanilla until mixture is well combined.
• Sift dry ingredients together and add to mixer along with chopped pecans.
• Combine well.
• Either use a small portion scoop or roll pieces of dough into 1 - 2-inch balls.
• Arrange on parchment-lined sheet pan.
• Place a pecan half on top of each round, sprinkle with a little sugar and press down with the bottom of a glass to flatten to about 1/4-inch thick.
• Bake until very pale golden.
• Cool.

SAND COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
• Beat margarine and sugar for 5 minutes.
• Dissolve soda in vinegar.
• Add to butter mixture.
• Add vanilla.
• Beat in flour.
• Add in chocolate chips.
• Drop by teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 28-30 minutes.

MEAN CHEF'S DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES WITH PECANS

Steps:

• Position 1 rack in the top 1/3 and another in the bottom 1/3 of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
• Melt the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over hot, simmering water.
• Remove from the heat but keep the chocolate mixture over a bowl of hot water to ensure that the mixture does not set.
• In a small bowl, combine the vanilla extract and the espresso powder and whisk until the espresso powder is dissolved.
• Stir the espresso mixture into the chocolate mixture.
• Combine the eggs and both sugars in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer (you can double the recipe and it will fit a 5 or 6 qt mixer bowl).
• Set the bowl over a pan of hot, hot simmering water.
• Stir with a hand-held wire whisk until warm to the touch.
• Attach the bowl to the mixer stand.
• Using the wire whip attachment, whip the mixture on high speed until pale, thickened and cool, about 5 minutes.
• Fold into the warm chocolate mixture.
• Fold in the flour.
• Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans.
• Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the 2 prepared pans leaving about 1 to 1/2 inches between the cookies (at work I make these a lot bigger so that they come out about 5 inches across).
• Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are set: switch the positions of the baking sheets halfway through the baking time for even baking.
• Cool the cookies on the baking sheets on wire racks for about 3 minutes, then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
• Repeat with the remaining dough.

MEAN CHEF'S CHOCOLATE SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and cream of tartar together in a medium bowl and with a wire whisk, stir to combine.
• In a large bowl, using a hand-held mixer at medium speed, beat the butter for 30 seconds, or until creamy.
• Add the sugar and continue beating for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is light in texture and color.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat well.
• At low speed beat in the flour mixture, in two additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F.
• On a well-floured surface, roll out half of dough at a time to 1/4-inch thickness.
• Using a cookie cutter cut into shapes and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
• Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 5-8 minutes or until lightly browned at edges.
• Cool. Decorate as desired.