#3792 - Frosted Maple Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1 cup Crisco shortening
1/2 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. McCormick maple flavoring
1 tsp. vanilla
a pinch of salt
2 cups Nestle's white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
pecan halves
Frosting: 4 cups Domino's powdered sugar; 4-6 TBSP milk; 1/4 cup softened butter; 1 tsp. maple flavoring

In a bowl add flour, baking soda and salt--stir to mix. In a mixer add brown sugar and Crisco--beat. Add 1/2 cup softened butter--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add 1 tsp. maple flavoring and the vanilla--beat. Slowly add flour mixture--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add chopped pecans and white chocolate chips--stir to mix. Drop batter by spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees 8-12 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes, then place on paper towels to cool completely. Frosting: in a mixer add powdered sugar, 1/4 cup softened butter and 1 tsp. maple flavoring--beat. Keep mixer beating and add 1 TBSP milk at a time until frosting is spreading consistency. Once you have the right consistency, beat on high speed until thick and creamy. Frost the cookies, then press one pecan half (flat side down) into the middle of the frosting on each cookie.

#3663 - Rolo Pretzels

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 bag salted mini pretzels (normal pretzel shape)
1 bag Rolo candies (unwrapped)
1 bag pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on cookie sheets. To test the baking time, place ONE pretzel on the parchment paper and place one unwrapped Rolo candy on top of the pretzel. Bake at 350 degrees 3-4 minutes or until Rolo is softened (but not melted). Remove from oven--place a pecan half onto the softened Rolo and press down slightly. Cool completely. Repeat with more pretzels, Rolos and pecan halves. Cool completely. Keep leftovers refrigerated.

#2916 - Pecan Lemon Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 box Duncan Hines lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp. grated lemon zest (grated lemon peel)
pecan halves

In a mixer add cake mix, eggs, oil and lemon zest--beat until mixed. Remove bowl from mixer--drop batter by teaspoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Press a pecan half in the center of each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes or until browned.

#2875 - Double Chocolate Drop Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 box Duncan Hines devil's food cake mix
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 - 6oz. bag Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate bits
pecan halves

In a mixer add cake mix, canola oil and eggs--beat until mixed. Remove bowl from mixer--add chocolate bits--stir to mix. Drop by spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Place a pecan half on the top of each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool 1-2 minutes before removing from cookie sheets. Place cookies on paper towels to cool.

#2766 - Scratch Caramel Pecan Cheesecake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 TBSP white sugar
3 TBSP melted butter
5 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
1 cup white sugar
3 TBSP flour
1 TBSP vanilla
1 cup Breakstone's sour cream
4 eggs
Topping: 12 Kraft caramels (unwrapped); 32 pecan halves; 1 TBSP water

Crust: in a bowl add graham cracker crumbs, 3 TBSP white sugar and melted butter--stir to mix. Press the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9" springform cheesecake pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Batter: in a mixer add cream cheese--beat. Add 1 cup white sugar, flour and vanilla--beat until mixed. Add sour cream--beat. Add eggs--beat until smooth. Pour batter into the graham cracker crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 65 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate overnight. The next day put the unwrapped caramels and 1 TBSP water in a microwave safe bowl--microwave on high for 1 minute or until melted--stir until smooth. Arrange the pecan halves over the top of the cheesecake. Drizzle the melted caramel all over the top of the pecans and the cheesecake.

#2697 - Brown Sugar Pecan Pie

(by Aunt Faye [Herman] Minier)

1 unbaked 9" pie crust dough
4 eggs
1 lb. Domino's dark brown sugar
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup softened butter
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecan halves

Place pie dough into a greased pie plate--flute the edges of the dough and spray the inside of the pie dough with Pam. In a mixer add eggs--beat and set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat add brown sugar and water--cook/stir until brown sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring--once boiling, boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat--quickly add hot sugar mixture to egg mixture while stirring. Add butter and vanilla--stir until dissolved. Pour the whole mixture into the pie dough. Arrange the pecan halves all over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until set--test with a tableknife for doneness. Cool completely.

#2584 - Crispy Pecan Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 cups Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1 cup mayo
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup pecan halves

In a mixer add brown sugar, mayo, eggs and vanilla--beat. Add baking soda and salt--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add chopped pecans--stir with a wooden spoon. Drop by spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Press a pecan half on top of each cookie. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

#719 - Caramel Turtles

(by Shirley McNevich)

Caramel: 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup packed Domino's dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup King Syrup molasses, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup butter, 1 tsp. vanilla

Other: 6oz. pecan pecan halves, 2 - 4oz. bars German sweet chocolate

Butter an 8 x 8 baking pan. In a heavy saucepan over low heat add white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, heavy cream, milk and butter--cook and stir with a wooden spoon until both sugars dissolve. Turn heat up to medium and cook/stir until candy thermometer is 244 degrees (if you don't have a candy thermometer drop a teaspoonful into a glass of cold water--if it forms a hard ball it's ready, if not cook longer and retest). Remove from heat and add vanilla--stir. Pour caramel mixture into the buttered pan and let it sit for 30 minutes. Use a sharp knife to cut the caramel into about 26 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place it on a saran wrap covered cookie sheet about 1" apart. Press 4 pecans onto each caramel in a cross (like a clockface--12, 3, 6 and 9) so one end of each pecan is in the middle of the caramel and the other end is hanging off of the edge). Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Spoon 1 tsp. of melted chocolate over the top of each turtle. Refrigerate to allow chocolate to harden.

#315 - Chocolate Pecan Bars

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup flour
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup Hershey's cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 sticks cold butter or Parkay
2 eggs
1 - 14oz. can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups pecan halves or chopped pecans

In a large bowl by hand, stir together flour, cocoa, white sugar and salt. Stir in the butter and mix until crumbly. Stir in one of the eggs (beaten). Press the mixture evenly on the bottom of a greased 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Meanwhile in a medium bowl using a spoon, beat Eagle milk, remaining egg (beaten), vanilla and stir in the pecans. Remove crust from oven, pour the Eagle milk mixture over the top evenly, add pecan halves for decoration on top if desired, return to oven and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes until golden brown. Cool in pan then cut in squares.

#284 - Pecan Chewies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/4 cup butter
14oz. sweetened condensed milk
12oz. Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp.vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter, condensed milk, and chocolate chips in a heavy saucepan--cook over medium/low heat--stir constantly until chocolate and butter melt. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, flour, and chopped pecans. Drop by teaspoonsful onto ungreased baking sheets. Press a pecan half into the center of each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes. (do NOT overbake.) Remove cookies from cookie sheets and cool completely.

#279 - Coconut Cream Cheese Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup butter
2 - 3oz. packages Philly cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 TBSP milk
2 cups flour
1/2 cup toasted coconut (spread coconut on a baking sheet in the oven in a single layer--bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally)
pecan halves or halved candied cherries

In a mixer, beat together the butter, cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Add egg and milk--beat well. Remove from mixer and stir in the flour and toasted coconut using a wooden spoon. Drop teaspoonsful onto ungreased cookie sheets, then press a pecan half or cherry half into the top of each cookie. Bake at 325 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove cookies from oven, wait 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheets. Allow to cool completely.