MidWeek Mini: Apple Pecan Cookies

Does your town have a Halloween Parade? My husband's hometown does, and these were the cookies I baked to take along last night when we camped out on my in-laws' front sidewalk all evening, watching marching bands and firetrucks and collecting candy tossed generously by local business owners. They are also a stellar choice for a Fall Festival, an Autumn Extravaganza, or a Harvest Party. Loaded with crunchy pecans, fresh apple bits, and a quiet hint of Christmas-y sweetness in the sugary glaze, these are the cookies for any and all celebrations this season.

I developed the recipe from a Pecan Oatmeal Cookie recipe in a little dessert book I have, with the apple added in because Henry can say "apple" and suggested we add some.

You Will Need:
1 apple
1/2 C pecans
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 C flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 C oatmeal

To Make:
Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare two cookie sheets (no need to grease them).

Chop your apple into a small dice. Chop pecans finely. Set these aside.

With a hand mixer, beat 1 stick butter and 1/2 C packed light brown sugar (press it firmly into the measuring cup, but don't pack it excessively).

Beat in 1 egg. Remove beaters from mixing bowl and scrape batter off carefully.

Stir in pecans and apples gently with a wooden spoon.

Using a sifter, sift in 3/4 C flour and 1/2 tsp baking powder into the mixing bowl.

Add 1/3 C oatmeal and stir slowly with a wooden spoon. Do not overmix; it will become extremely sticky. Stop mixing as soon as all dry ingredients are incorporated.

Using a floured hand, carefully form small balls of dough and press gently onto cookie sheets.

Bake for 15 minutes, watching for browning around the edges. Remove from oven and move carefully to wire cooking racks.

When completely cool, you can serve as-is, or add this yummy glaze.

Whisk 1/2 C powdered sugar with 1/2 T milk. Drizzle lightly over cookies. It won't exactly harden, but it will firm a little bit.

The one downside to these cookies is that they do not store very well. In a ziploc bag or an airtight container, they will become quite soft, which is not the preferred texture. The upside to all this is that you are forced to eat them all in one sitting!