Pecan Praline Cookies

Pecan Praline Cookies - made May 11, 2013 from My Own Sweet Thyme

Since I didn't use up all of the icing from the Caramel Bundt Cake, I needed to repurpose the remainder so I tried out these cookies that I found on pinterest from My Own Sweet Thyme.  I'm including the original frosting recipe though for future use. I omitted the pecans from the cookie dough since nuts in cookies typically aren't my thing unless the cookies are more crisp like shortbread. 

If you like pralines, you'd like these cookies.  If you find pralines too sweet, you'll like these cookies even better.  I had genuine pralines (pronounced prah-leens) when I was in New Orleans, made by a local woman at the farmers' market, but I found them much too sweet for my taste.  However, these cookies are a wonderful representation.  They're brown sugar cookies, the frosting was a nice penuche-like touch and the single pecan on top brought the flavors together nicely. 

1 cup butter, softened
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup finely chopped pecans, optional
Brown Sugar Frosting (see below)
Pecan halves for garnish

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer. Gradually add sugars, mixing well. Add egg and vanilla; beat well.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, soda and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture, stirring after each addition. Stir in the chopped pecans, if using.
3. Chill dough for 30 minutes. 
4. When chilled, remove from the refrigerator. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place the balls of dough on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks. 
6. When cool, spread Brown Sugar Frosting over the tops of the cookies. Top each with a pecan half before the icing sets.

Brown Sugar Frosting
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup half & half
1 tablespoon butter
1½ cups sifted powdered sugar (plus a little more if needed)

1. Combine brown sugar and half & half in a saucepan. 
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil 4 minutes. 
3. Remove from heat. Stir in butter. Add 1½ cups powdered sugar. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add a little more powdered sugar, if needed, to achieve a desired spreading consistency.