I Met a New Cookie. And I Liked It.

I introduced myself to a Cinnamon-Pecan Cookie this week.

My only regret is that I waited this long to meet her. She was chewy and chunky, sweet and salty, loaded with a super-dose of cinnamon, and chock full of toasted pecans.

I've decided that she's truly the unsung hero of the Cookie Universe.

Once baked--and sufficiently tasted--these babies were packaged up for a 7 hour drive to Kentucky (the land of horse races and bourbon). My parents were traveling to the Bluegrass state this weekend to visit family, and I figured it was high time I expand this Cinnamon-Pecan Love beyond the borders of WV.

(Truth: I was powerless in the face of the Cinnamon-Pecan influence. That stack of cookies had complete and utter control over me...so much so that I had to ship them 7 hours away to resist.).

I hope that you all have the opportunity to meet a Cinnamon-Pecan Cookie in the near future as well. Don't be shy, now. She'll like you just as much as you like her. Promise.

Cinnamon-Pecan Cookies

(recipe adapted from this one by Ina Garten in her Back to Basics Cookbook)

Oatmeal cookies so often include raisins, other dried fruit, or chocolate chips. I switched this recipe up to highlight two perfectly-paired ingredients: cinnamon and toasted pecans.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pecans, toasted (toast on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 /2 tsp. salt
• 1 - 1/2 cups quick oats

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat baking sheets with cooking spray

2) Cream the butter and sugars together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well-combined. Add dry ingredients to the batter and beat well. Stir in toasted pecans (don't forget to toast them--it's key!).

2) Drop by rounded tablespoon-fuls on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Yield: about 24 cookies.