Pecan Florentines with Eggnog Filling
Smitten Kitchen
Cookies
- 1/4 c + 2 tbs. flour
- 55 g pecans
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 c butter
- 2/3 c sugar, minus 1 tbs.
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tbsp corn syrup
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
Eggnog Filling
- 4 hard boiled eggs
- 4 tbsp softened butter
- 2 1/2 c powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp whole milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp cloves
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp rum extract
For cookies, combine first four ingredients in a food processor and pulse together for about a minute until pecans are very finely ground, almost indistinguishable from the flour. Transfer to a medium sized bowl.
Meanwhile, combine the rest of the ingredients, minus the vanilla, into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla. Pour over pecan/flour mixture and stir together thoroughly. Let sit for 30-45 minutes until almost completely cool.
Scoop dough out by small, unrounded teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet. A small amount of dough goes a very long way. The cookies will spread super thin, so leave a lot of space between them so they don't all run into each other.
Cook at 350 for 10-11 minutes, until cookies just start turning golden brown. Remove for oven and let sit for about 5 minutes before removing to paper towels. Blot each cookie carefully to remove excess butter, then transfer to cookie racks to cool.
Before adding batter to the cookie sheet for another batch, wipe down all the excess grease from the cookie sheet.
For the eggnog filling: Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Discard whites. Push the egg yolks through a fine mesh strainer. They will come out fluffy and powdery. Whip butter, then add remaining frosting ingredients. Whip frosting for 2-3 minutes, then check consistency and add more milk if necessary.
Do not fill cookies ahead of time or they will lose their crispness. Fill right before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge (they will get soft, but they'll still be good)
Yield: 3 dozen individual cookies/ 1 1/2 dozen filled sandwich cookies