Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies

 I love my mom's family thumbprint recipe but how to change it up?  The base is great so let's change where the nuts go and the kind of nuts from walnuts to pecans.  A-ha!  One of my favorite pies in a cookie. 

Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies                                                               Printable Recipe

2/3 cup butter
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg whites, beaten

Filling:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons corn syrup (light or dark)
3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans 

Beat butter until creamy. Add half of the flour with sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour. Cover and chill for 1 hour or until easy to handle. 

While you dough chills make your filling.  In a small saucepan, combine powdered sugar, butter and corn syrup. Stir until melted and just boils on the edge. 

Remove from heat and stir in pecans. Set in fridge on a hot pad, cooling for at least 30 minutes.

Time to make the cookies!! Shape into 1 inch balls (slightly overfill small cookie scoop.) 

Roll in egg whites or you could brush it on.

Press center down with your thumb. 

 You can smooth the edges a little with your thumb and finger.

Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven so you can fill centers.

You may need to make your dent again.  If it weren't holding a caramel type filling I wouldn't worry about it but this one can ooze out.

Add a heaping 1/4 teaspoon of your pecan pie filling. Don't add too much or it will bubble over your cookie.  That little guy in the left has too much! They are still edible just not as pretty.

Bake for 5-7 more minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on sheet for 2 minutes.  Remove to rack to cool.

Makes 28-30 cookies.

I came out with extra filling but it's yummy as is. Almost like a caramel pecan candy. Enjoy!

Pin it:  http://www.pinterest.com/pin/273593746086323339/

Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party #68

Welcome to Foodie Friends Friday 

NUTTY Party!!

Last week's recipes that received the MOST CLICKS.   Thanks for your interest in my BLOODSHOT PEANUTBUTTER EYEBALLS!!

Please take a moment to read through the rules before getting started, Thank You!

*By linking up you agree that you read these rules and all photos/recipes are original and belong to you. You agree to allow Foodie Friends Friday and any of it's affiliated websites or publications (Social Girls Media, LLC) to use photos, links, and recipes for reprint and/or republishing and distribution without monetary compensation to you. If photos & recipes are used, proper link backs to you will be included.

Adding Links back to Foodie Friends Friday and our Button is our only form of advertising to bring in more people to see YOUR recipes.

Please remember to do this. It benefits you! To thank you, we will continue to feature those with links throughout the year on various outlets.

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An InLinkz Link-up

Thank you to everyone for making last week's Foodie Friends Friday Fruit Party a huge success. Did you see all the recipes that caught OUR attention last week? Check out the Host Favorites on the Daily Dish for links to all the recipes.

An InLinkz Link-up

Lemon Cream Cheese Dessert

Lemon Cream Cheese Dessert                                                          Printable Recipe

1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, cold
8 ounce package light cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
8 ounce container whipped topping, divided
2 - 3.4 ounce packages lemon instant pudding mix
2 3/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut butter into flour using a pastry cutter.  You can also use a sturdy fork.  Pieces should be about pea size. Larger is OK, you just don't want any whole pieces of plain butter left.

Press into 8.5 x 11 inch baking dish. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until just lightly brown. Cool.  I baked mine the night before and allowed to cool over night.

Place cream cheese in a medium bowl. Beat until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat again.

 Add 1 cup whipped topping to cream cheese mixture and beat just until combined.

 Spread over cooled crust.

Combine pudding mix and milk in a medium bowl. Beat until thickened. Spread on top of cream cheese layer. ( My farm fresh goat milk was a little runnier to start but firmed up by the time we were ready to eat it.)

 I waited until our pudding was firm before topping with the remaining whipped topping.  You should be fine to add yours right away.

Chill for 2 hours or better yet all day.  I found that even a day or so later that the crust was still crispy!!

I think this would be delightful as a mini dessert. You could buy premade shortbread cookies to place in the bottom or bake the shortbread bottom of this dessert, break it up and use it instead.  Also, you could substitute your favorite flavor of pudding for the lemon. 

Making Apple Cider

No recipe today, no recipe needed.  It's all about fresh homegrown apples being made into apple cider.   There is only only two ingredients:  apples and muscle!

Have you ever wanted to press your own cider? If not, you will after this.

I joined a family who have lived on a farm near my parents for quite some decades.  They have a lot of apple trees on their farm. One day my dad stopped to see if they used them all since I was looking for apples to make sauce with.  You would be surprised how many people don't use the fruit on their trees and if you just ask they will let you have the fruit.  This family said they use their apples for cider but I could have some to make sauce.  They would call when they were ready.

Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party #67

Welcome to Foodie Friends Friday 

HALLOWEEN Party!!

Last week's recipes that received the MOST CLICKS.   Thanks for your interest in my simple yet fancy ways to frost your cupcakes!!

Please take a moment to read through the rules before getting started, Thank You!

*By linking up you agree that you read these rules and all photos/recipes are original and belong to you. You agree to allow Foodie Friends Friday and any of it's affiliated websites or publications (Social Girls Media, LLC) to use photos, links, and recipes for reprint and/or republishing and distribution without monetary compensation to you. If photos & recipes are used, proper link backs to you will be included.

Adding Links back to Foodie Friends Friday and our Button is our only form of advertising to bring in more people to see YOUR recipes.

Please remember to do this. It benefits you! To thank you, we will continue to feature those with links throughout the year on various outlets.

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.foodiefriendsfridaydailydish.com/" title="Foodie Friends Friday" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj628/busyvegetarianmom/FFFDDButtonNEW150Darker_zpse238f637.jpg" alt="Foodie Friends Friday" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

An InLinkz Link-up

Thank you to everyone for making last week's Foodie Friends Friday Fruit Party a huge success. Did you see all the recipes that caught OUR attention last week? Check out the Host Favorites on the Daily Dish for links to all the recipes.

An InLinkz Link-up

Bloodshot Peanut Butter Eyeballs

So many Halloween ideas out there!  I've seen cake pops made into bloodshot eyeballs so why not my peanut butter balls?

Bloodshot Peanut Butter Eyeballs (makes about 35)

2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 pound almond bark
brown Reese's pieces (small pkg has about 14)
Red tinted piping gel (or you can use colored almond bark)

In a bowl combine peanut butter and butter. 

 Stir in powdered sugar.  It will look dry.  Keep smushing into it and it will slowly combine.

All of the powdered sugar will work in.

 Use a 1 inch cookie scoop and dip out balls.  Place them on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper.

 Roll smooth. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Melt almond bark in a double boiler.  Poke cooled ball with a toothpick and dunk into the almond bark.  Tap toothpick on the side of the bowl to knock off excess.

Place back on the wax paper. See that hole from the toothpick?

 Cover it with a brown Reese's Pieces candy. Place back in fridge until firm.

Using tinted piping gel, make little zig zags down the side to create the "bloodshot" look.  I used piping gel since it was ooey gooey but tinted almond bark or even frosting would work fine too.

 Already looking creepy on my pan.

Are they staring a me?!

Candy Corn Shaped Krispie Treats

I saw candy corn shaped krispie treats online and they were frosted.   I thought, "WOW!" that is just way too much sugar.  So I thought maybe I could color the marshmallow candy corn colors.  It takes a little bit more work but I thought they turned out nice. 

Candy Corn Shaped Krispie Treats

3 Tablespoons butter
10 ounce package mini marshmallows
6 cups crispy rice cereal
Orange and yellow icing gel colors

Spray a 10" springform pan with non stick spray. 

In a microwavable bowl melt the butter.  Add marshmallows and toss to coat.  Microwave for 45 seconds to start, then stir.  Mine only needed an additional 25 seconds after that. Stir in cereal making sure to get them all coated. 

 Each color used about 1/3 of the marshmallow cereal mixture. Take 1/3 of the "white" out and put in the middle of the pan.  Split the other marshmallow cereal mixture in half, putting one part in another microwave friendly bowl and leaving the other half in the original bowl.  Using the orange icing color gel, color your next batch.  Spray your hand with non stick spray to help place the orange around the white.  

Now on to yellow. By now the marshmallow may have stiffened up a bit.  Place in the marshmallow cereal mixture in the microwave for 10 seconds, stir.  If need be another 10 seconds is ok.  Add color and stir.

 Using the nonstick on the hand again, place the yellow around the orange.  It's OK if it isn't perfect.  Candy corn isn't. Press down so it's flat. Allow to cool. 

 Cut into 12 pieces. When you cut it may misshapen a little when you separate them.  Just reshape with your hands.

 So cute!!