Pecan Pie Cookies

INGREDIENTS

Pecan pie filling:

• ½ cup (110g) packed light or dark brown sugar

• 2 tablespoon (30ml) 35% heavy whipping cream

• 1 large egg

• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon (15ml) corn syrup or maple syrup

• ⅛ teaspoon salt

• ⅔ cup (85g) coarsely chopped pecans

Cookie dough:

• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened

• ⅓ cup (65g) granulated sugar

• ¼ cup (55g) packed light brown sugar

• 1 large egg yolk

• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon (15ml) whole milk

• 1 ⅓ cups (190g) all purpose flour

• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

For topping:

• ¼ cup (30g) chopped pecans (optional)

• 4 oz (113g) melted dark chocolate (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Make the pecan pie filling. Combine all ingredients except for pecans in a small 1-quart stainless steel saucepan and whisk to combine. Add the pecans and place over medium heat. Cook while whisking constantly until it just begins to bubble and thicken, then let it bubble for 30 seconds. This will take 5-7 minutes. Immediately take it off the heat and pour it into a clean bowl. Let it cool completely and then refrigerate for about 1 hour until thoroughly chilled.

• Make the cookie dough. Combine softened butter, sugar and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand with a wide rubber spatula using the "creaming" method, or use an electric hand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla and mix well. Mix in milk until combined.

• Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend well. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and fold it in until evenly incorporated and the dough is smooth.

• Cover the bowl and refrigerate, or (here's what I like to do) turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap and shape and roll it into a log that's about 10-inches long. Use floured hands to handle the sticky dough. Wrap it well and refrigerate for 1 hour or place it in the freezer for 30 minutes.

• Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

• If you kept the dough in the bowl, use a 1-oz cookie scoop to scoop up about 2 tablespoon of dough and roll into smooth balls. Make sure you divide the dough evenly to make exactly 13 cookies. If you shaped the dough into a log, slice it into 13 equal portions. Roll each portion into smooth balls and place on prepared baking sheets spacing them 3 inches apart.

• Press a 1 teaspoon measure spoon down in the center of each cookie to create a deep divet. Push the sides up or squeeze the cookie towards the center just a bit to contain it as you make the divet. If the cookie dough cracks, just press it together. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of filling right into each indent. You will not use all the filling, and reserve the rest of the filling for finishing the cookies after they've baked. Place the trays in the fridge for 15 minutes while the oven preheats.

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

• Bake the cookies 8-10 minutes until the cookies are nicely golden brown around the edges and the filling starts to bubble. Transfer trays to a wire rack and let cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring individually to the rack to finish cooling.

• Once cool, spoon a bit of the remaining filling on top of each cookie and sprinkle more chopped pecans on top if you'd like. I like to also drizzle with melted dark chocolate, but this is optional.

Banana Bread

Unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup neutral oil or melted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large, very ripe bananas, mashed (1 cup)

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch metal loaf pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, whisk eggs with oil (or butter), sugar and mashed bananas. Stir banana mixture into dry ingredients.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for about 50 minutes, until bread is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Transfer pan to a rack and let cool for 15 minutes, then turn bread out onto rack and let cool completely. Dust top with confectioners' sugar, cut into slices and serve.

Almond Croissants

1 ½ cups sliced almonds, divided

8 ounces (about 1 cup) almond paste, broken into small pieces

⅓ cup cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

8 large day-old croissants, split horizontally

Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread 1 cup of the sliced almonds in an even layer on a small rimmed baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring halfway through cook time. Let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.

Pulse cooled toasted almonds in a food processor until finely ground, about 12 pulses. Add almond paste and sugar; process until mixture resembles fine meal, about 15 seconds. Add egg, butter, vanilla, and salt; process until mixture is smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Transfer mixture to an airtight container. Cover and chill until mixture is firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 4 days. (If refrigerating more than 30 minutes, uncover and let stand at room temperature 15 to 30 minutes before using.)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread 2 tablespoons almond paste mixture onto cut side of each croissant bottom. Sandwich with croissant tops. Spread 1 tablespoon almond paste mixture onto top of each assembled croissant. Sprinkle croissants evenly with remaining 1/2 cup sliced almonds (about 1 tablespoon each), pressing gently to adhere.

Arrange croissants on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until sliced almonds on top turn light golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Let croissants cool on baking sheet 15 minutes. Garnish with powdered sugar. Almond croissants are best eaten the day they are baked.