Pecan Cookie Pieces

“I was having dinner at the Italian restaurant at the CIA,” recalls Patrick Pierre-Jerome, executive chef of Hat City Kitchen in Orange, “and they had a polenta cookie with crushed almonds that I thought was nice. The polenta made me think of cornmeal. Cornmeal, Southern. So I swapped out the almonds for pecans to make it my own. It’s a crunchy cookie that tastes like shortbread, crunchier.”

By Daniel Loughmiller | | November 17, 2010

Photo by Steve Legato.

Pecan Cookie Pieces

Ingredients:

4 oz pecan pieces
5 oz sugar
5 oz flour
3 oz cornmeal
4 oz cold butter diced
2 eggs

Method:

Chop the pecans in a food processor until pieces are small but not finely ground. Set aside.

Combine sugar, flour and cornmeal in a food processor and pulse to mix.

Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles sand.

Add flour mixture to pecans in a bowl and mix.

Beat eggs and gently mix into dry mixture.

Gently toss by hand just until the mixture appears a little moist but still crumbly. Do not overwork.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread mixture evenly.

Bake 325° for 20 min. until golden.

Allow to cool.

Break into pieces and dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.