Hello friends! I’m so excited to be baking together with you again here at Cook the Vineyard. For this third installment of Baking Together, I’ve chosen a recipe that’s perfect for all the baking, giving, and sharing we bakers like to do during the winter holidays. It’s a slice-and-bake cookie (I call them slicers), and I have to say that this buttery, toasted pecan-laden guy hits all the right notes for any occasion, every day of the year.
While the star of this cookie is definitely the pecans (make sure they’re fresh and don’t skip the all-important toasting), a touch of brown sugar adds a delicious hint of toffee flavoring that makes each bite of this buttery, “slicer” extra special.
For those bakers who like to stay a step or three ahead of the game (you know who you are), check out the make-ahead tips that I’ve included in the recipe. And, for those of us (ahem!) who always seem to be a step or three behind, I have good news: The dough for this cookie mixes up quickly and shapes into nice round logs with the help of paper towel tubes (directions in the recipe). And, if you’re in a real hurry, the logs can be flash-chilled in the freezer so they are ready to slice, bake, and gift in no time.
Alternatively, instead of gifting the baked cookies, consider gifting the chilled (or frozen) log(s) so that folks can slice and bake their own as their appetites allow. I’d suggest pre-scoring the logs for easy slicing (remember Rule # 2) and wrapping them up in a cellophane bag tied with a festive bow with a hangtag for baking directions. It’s a bit of an unusual approach, but when you think about how the treats really pile up around the holidays, it might be nice to have a log or two stowed in the freezer to pull out and bake up well after the festivities have died down.
Check out our other Baking Together recipes: One Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes with an easy Milk Chocolate Frosting and Pumpkin Cream Cheese Tart for some additional holiday deliciousness!
Wishing you and your families a happy and healthy baking, I mean, holiday season!
Abby Dodge is the author of 10 cookbooks, including the The Everyday Baker.
