Melt-In-Your-Mouth Butter Pecan Thumbprint Cookies with White Chocolate Feuilletine, and a Way to Help the Sandy Hook School Families
December 19, 2012 at 8:27 am | Posted in Candy, Cookies, Dessert, Holiday | 31 CommentsTags: Butter Pecan, Christmas Cookies, Cookies, feuilletine, thumbprint cookies, white chocolate
I know…weird, huh? Three posts in less than two weeks. Someone needs to take my temperature. I have a feeling it would probably register anywhere from 350F to 375F. OK, so the holiday baking bug bit and it keeps biting..leaving ‘welts’ of butter, flour, sugar and eggs all over me. How cheesy can I get? Oh, believe me, there’s more cheese where that came from.
Before I get to these cookies..I need and want to touch on the Sandy Hook shootings. I’ve had a lump of pain in my heart since learning of it, and I can’ watch anything about it without choking up. Little children are our lights..precious gems, untainted by the harsh realities of what can be a cruel world at times. They show us the goodness of human beings. Killing them is killing human goodness.
I can’t sleep because I keep picturing those little, innocent children shot dead, in such an aggressive, hateful manner.. by a man who was probably mentally ill, but no one did anything about it, or so it seems. We don’t know what inner demons this man was battling, but It begs the question – what could motivate someone to do something so heinous, so cruel, so despicable?
We may never know.
I’m not going to spout off about gun control or mental illness, but I am going to direct you to a fund set up by United Way of Western Connecticut called the Sandy Hook School Support Fund to help the families of the victims through their grief..whether it be therapy or grief counseling of some sort or just a little something to make life easier for them at this time. It’s not going to bring back their little angels or loved ones, but it’s something and I think we’ve all felt some form of helplessness since it happened.
UPDATE: The Daily News has put up a list of Sandy Hook funds you can donate to and linked them, from The Red Cross to personal family funds. This gives you a lot of options to help and show your support.
Wow, it’s really hard to write about cookies after that, but I will write about cookies, thumbprint cookies laden with toasty, buttered pecans and filled with white chocolate feuilletine. Some of you may have heard of feuilletine…if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know exactly what it is.
Feuiiletine (foo-ye-teen – from the French ‘feuille,’ meaning ‘leaves’) is made from very thin, crispy, sweet crepes..sort of like wafers..crushed, then added to creamy desserts for texture. Besides the texture..they also add a delicate caramel undertone to whatever you add them to. If you can’t find feuilletine nearby, which is like a 99.9 % probability, you can order it HERE, or make it yourself.
If you don’t want to deal with feuilletine..which can be pricey, although I think my link is a great price for it..corn flakes, placed in a ziplock bag and pounded into smaller flakes, are a decent substitution. Corn flakes will give you a crunchier filling, since they are not as delicate as feulletine..which gives you a crispy filling.
Crispy – Crunchy? Yes, there is a difference.
However, flavor wise…corn flakes don’t hold a candle to feuilletine. But, the good news is..I split the melted white chocolate and added feullitine to half and crushed corn flakes to the other half. They were both really good and got a big thumbs up from those who tried them. So, go French or go Kellogs. Either way is perfectly fine.
Another alternative that comes closer to feuilletine in flavor is crushed sugar cones – the ones you buy for ice cream. The texture isn’t feathery crisp like feuilletine, but it’ll give you a corn flake crunch with more flavor.
Oh, how could I forget the cookie part? You know those melt-in-your-mouth pecan balls or crescents coated in powdered sugar? That’s what these cookies are…plus a thumbprint and minus the powdered sugar. Butter pecans are my ‘new thing’. I always toast nuts before adding them to sweet or savory preparations because toasted nuts have much more flavor than nuts that aren’t toasted, but when it comes to pecans, I can’t stop coating them in melted butter before toasting them. I’m not sure I’ll ever stop doing that with pecans because toasted is great, but butter toasted is better. You get that lovely, rich, brown butter flavor in addition to the toasty – you know..like good old butter pecan ice cream..it simply can’t be beat.
So, to sum up these cookies..as a friend put it – it’s crispy chocolate in a nutty, buttery, toasty cookie. Try these with milk or dark chocolate if you don’t like white chocolate, or make them using a variety of chocolate feuilletine fillings.
I hope you try them. I hope you like them.
Butter Pecan Thumbprint Cookies with White Chocolate Feuilletine
Makes about 2 dozen cookies, but you can double the recipe..then double again, for more
2 sticks of unsalted butter
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cupa chopped pecans
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces white chocolate, melted
Abut 3/4 to 1 cup feuilletine or crushed corn flakes or crushed sugar cones – you want a little more white chocolate to feuilletine or corn flakes so it settles into the thumbprint nicely, and sticks. Start with 1/2 cup and add more if you think it’s needed. Some white chocolate brands melt more liquid than other white chocolate brands. For example – if you use white chocolate chips..they do not melt as liquid as a good quality white chocolate bar like Valrhona, therefore, less feuilletine is needed.
DIRECTIONS:
!. Stir together chopped pecans and 1/4 cup melted butter. Spread in an even layer on a parchment lined sheet pan. Bake at 350° for 15 – 20 minutes, stirring them around once half way through. until pecans are toasted (you’ll be able to smell them). Remove from oven, and let cool.
2. When pecans are cool, in a medium bowl, combine with flour. Set aside.
3. IN a large bowl beat together the 2 sticks of butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the flour-butter pecan mixture until combined. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat. Roll the dough into 1 1/2 – inch balls and place on baking sheets..12 per sheet – about two inches apart. Refrigerate both sheets with the dough balls for 10-15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Place one sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and press your thumb into cookies to make a deep indentation. Place back in the oven for 7 – 9 minutes. then remove and cool on a wire rack. Repeat with second sheet of dough balls.
5. Melt the white chocolate in w bowl over a pot of simmering water..making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir in the feuilletine or crushed corn flakes, then spoon into the centers of the cooled cookies, about a heaping half teaspoon per cookie. Let set and then enjoy! These are great for a holiday cookie exchange!
Note – I melted about a pound or more of white chocolate and added a lot of feuilletine, since I was experimenting. Check back in a few days to see what I did with all that leftover white chocolate feuilletine!
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A terrible end tragic event…
Those cookies look amazing and must taste heavenly.
Cheers,
Rosa
Comment by Rosa Mayland— December 19, 2012 #
I don’t think anyone knows how to process this one, senseless and heart wrenching. Your fever of 350-375 is a line I am soooo going to borrow. Our thumbprints on this week’s agenda are so boring compared to yours, they look yummy and I can imagine what they smelled like baking!
Comment by sweetiepetitti— December 19, 2012 #
They are in my thoughts and prayers. Your cookies look sinful and delicious and those close up shots are just making me crave one now. What exactly are you doing with tons of white melted chocolate??? Take care, BAM
Comment by Bam's Kitchen— December 19, 2012 #
Feuilletine is complete heaven – I only tried it for the first time recently and am completely in love.
On a separate note, this event is so hard to process, so awful. But hopefully people can find comfort in the simplest things, like baking, that continue day in and out.
Comment by thelittleloaf— December 19, 2012 #
Wonderful cookies and a wonderful message.
Comment by saffronandhoney— December 19, 2012 #
They look incredible and I like that they are novel.
V
Comment by A Canadian Foodie— December 19, 2012 #
These thumbprint cookies look fantastic!!
Your photos are amazing and my mouth is watering now
I’d looooooooooooooove to try these, so I’m pinning this post
Comment by Winnie— December 19, 2012 #
Beautifully written. I have been having trouble writing since it happened. My daughter is the age of those beautiful children and I keep picturing her classroom… very difficult. But a beautiful post, with some beautiful cookies. Honestly, beauty is the best tribute. And I bet the cookies tasted delicious!
Comment by Shelley C— December 19, 2012 #
Yummy cookies! Butter and pecan sounds like a very addictive combo indeed. That was a really cheesy intro and a hilarious one hi hi.
Comment by Cheap Ethnic Eatz (@cethniceatz)— December 19, 2012 #
These look amazing Lisa. I think I could eat two by the time I say the description again though!
Comment by David Crichton— December 19, 2012 #
I won’t even speak about Newtown. I think you know how I feel. And warm nutty crispy melt-in-your mouth cookies would be perfect about now to warm and comfort.
Comment by jamielifesafeast— December 19, 2012 #
Definitely leaves me almost speechless about the tragedy.
And I’m burning up over here, too. Yum to the cookies!
Comment by Katrina— December 19, 2012 #
wow–AMAZING cookies!! i can not wait to make…
you are a rockin’ baker!
i have a niece those children’s age and i can’t imagine the grief of their parents…
it’s pretty nasty how some politicos are using the tragedy for their own religious and political agendas (which have nothing to do with the incident) instead of feeling anything real.
thanks for alerting us about the fund.
Comment by johanna— December 19, 2012 #
So sweet and wonderful of you to share links to help the people of Newtown. My heart aches for those people. I’ve been waiting to see these fabulous cookies. Oh my! Just love that filling and want a few with my coffee now.
xx
Comment by Lora @cakeduchess— December 20, 2012 #
These little cookies sounds so good! I want to try feuilletine now. I’ve never heard of it nor tried it. Now that’s a must.
Comment by Kate | Food Babbles— December 20, 2012 #
Hmm…I’m finding myself torn between your last pistachio drop cookies and these scrumptious butter pecan tasties ;o)
On another note, I really have been in a kind of strange and saddened bubble lately…especially after having heard about the last few terrible events that have fallen upon such innocent people. All the more reason to celebrate the small moments ;o)
Lisa, I wish you and your loved ones the very best during this holiday season.
Ciao for now,
Claudia
Comment by foodessa— December 20, 2012 #
Oh, boy, do these look incredible, Lisa! And thanks for the pronunciation guide…no way could I tackle that on my own
Happy holidays to you…thanks for bringing deliciousness into my life through your blog…I’m happy to have you as friend! xo
PS…thanks for the Sandy Hook Fund info…donating is a way to tackle the feelings of helplessness…
Comment by Liz— December 21, 2012 #
Lisa, what a beautiful and touching post!
Have a wonderful Holiday Season for you and your loved ones!
Comment by Daniela— December 21, 2012 #
I had to stop watching the news because I couldn’t stop crying and feeling utterly helpless. Thank you for the link where we can do something concrete if we are able. XO Beautiful and clever cookies, luv.
I’ve never tried feuilletine but will see if I can find them next time I go to my favorite European import shop. 
Happy Christmas! xo
Comment by ramblingtart— December 21, 2012 #
YUM! These cookies look super amazing. I thought I was all done baking cookies, but maybe I can find time for just one more batch..?
Comment by Jenni (@GingeredWhisk)— December 21, 2012 #
Thanks for the new filling idea! I made thumbprint cookies recently but with raspberry jam…so delicious! These look great
Comment by Lilly Sue— December 21, 2012 #
Yummy cookies, where can I get some? Photos are great too!. Great job with your Sandy Hook reference and info. Having driven through the town a few days ago you really hit the right tone. Well done.
Comment by Dan— December 22, 2012 #
Oh Lisa, these sound SO good. I’d never heard of feuilletine but now I’m eager to try it out! Merry Christmas!
Comment by Korena in the Kitchen— December 22, 2012 #
I must make these Lisa! I have a huge bag of feuilletine that I need to use up and these look so scrumptious! A great idea to remember those innocent lives lost in the terrible tragedy.
Comment by Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella— December 23, 2012 #
These were awesome!! Looking forward to trying the candy with pecans!
Comment by Kim— December 24, 2012 #
Made these as part of my holiday cookie baskets and they were amazing! I added red and green sprinkles to the white chocolate crunch too. Thank you for the recipe!
Comment by Jaime— December 25, 2012 #
These cookies are now a permanent fixture in my holiday cookie baking..they got raves! Thank you!
Trackback by Amanda— December 26, 2012 #
What a great way to use feuilletine. I love the stuff. I’m thinking of making this using Callebaut 70%. Thanks for the recipe.
Comment by Thomas— December 28, 2012 #
Hi Lisa! These thumbprint cookies are excellent! I’ve never seen these with white chocolate in the middle! Must be so tasty! Keep the posts coming! And yeah, it was a tragic event
P.S. totally love all your pinteresting!
Comment by Sammie— January 3, 2013 #
In the recipe it calls for 2 sticks of butter, but instructions say mix 1 stick of butter….unsure of which it is as it also calls for 4 tbsp of melted butter for toasting the pecans….
Comment by Carol Fox— April 14, 2013 #
Hi, Carol! So sorry! I only made a dozen the day I tested the recipe..and apparently forgot to change what I typed into a document later on. It’s two sticks of butter in the directions – I just changed it
Comment by Lisa— April 14, 2013 #