The first thing I notice right off the bat, look at all that sugar we get to add! That’s the most sugar and highest sugar/flour ratio that I’ve seen yet, so I’m expecting a sweet cookie. And with pecans as the headliner, I’m optimistic.
Another thing I see right away - this is the first recipe that contains both shortening and butter. (I will be using unsalted butter. FINALLY I get to feel like Paula Deen, adding a whole stick of butter, y’all!) I know that you can generally exchange shortening and butter in cookie recipes (though not all baked goods), but I can’t think of a single instance where BOTH were called for. Now that I think about it, it’s not a bad idea. Because both offer wonderful qualities to a recipe, why not combine their efforts?
Why use shortening? In baked goods, shortening yields a higher, lighter-texture than butter. Butter produces a more dense baked good. In the cookie world, because butter has a lower melting point than shortening, it causes cookies to spread faster and wider. This results in a flatter, crispier cookie. Cookies made with shortening do not spread as fast, so those cookies are lighter and rounder. This cookie is called a Pecan Crispie, so I’m guessing that the butter will help spread the cookie so that it will be a bit crispy, while the shortening will keep the cookie from becoming too flat or hard. Good teamwork!
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| It was a perfect 2 1/2 cup brown sugar castle... |
Why use butter? There is no denying that butter offers a fabulous flavor, while shortening is pretty much tasteless (though I did see there is a butter flavored Crisco). Butter is a great option when you want that golden delicious taste to jazz up your recipe. It also compliments other ingredients, like vanilla and spices, and gives them an added flavor boost. I am excited to see if I can get a hint of the buttery goodness in each bite of these crispies.
As for the nutrition of shortening, butter, and margarine – they are all fats and can be consider both “healthy” and “unhealthy.” I’m not going to argue the numbers, but I personally prefer butter, and then shortening, then margarine. I love butter for the flavor and the fact that it is not a processed food. Margarine and shortening are made in factories by combining various ingredients, including preservatives and coloring. Butter is made of simply butterfat (which results from churned fresh cream) and sometimes salt. For me, natural trumps processed every time.
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| She missed this late night baking, so this was before she went to bed. So cool she wears shades at night. |
I bake 58 cookies, and my first expectation is exceeded. These cookies are sweet. Like, so sweet they hurt my teeth. I don’t eat a lot of super sweet things, so the first bite takes me by surprise, but then I'm okay with it. Once I get past the sweetness, I smile because this is what a homemade cookie should taste like – like butter. The richness of the butter comes through without question. And the butter in combination with the shortening gives this cookie the perfect cookie texture: extra crispity-crunchity on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. I chopped my pecans extra fine and that might have been a mistake, because I don’t get a lot of pecan flavor. A hint of nuttiness, but if I had kept the pecans larger, they might have had a bigger impact.
All in all, a good cookie. Because they are so sweet, you are satisfied with eating only a few. But there is no way I can clear these cookies on my own. So, my Dad and Grandma will be getting surprise cookies tomorrow!
Cookie Grade: A- = perfect texture, buttery goodness, but a minus because it’s a bit sweet for me
What I was jammin’ to: my husband switching the TV between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Brushing up to see the final movie on Sunday. Thank you Dad and Karen for babysitting this weekend!
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