December 16th-Pecan Blizzard Cookies

7:00AM this Wednesday morning, I will be on the Lana and Nolan morning show 92.9FM.

Jump on my press page at chefcontos.com and find a great picture of Charlie, Ernie, and myself from last week's radio show. Next month I will be on the Edible Communities Show on Heritage Radio. Deborah Schapiro did a lovely shout out about my cookie marathon on this past Monday's show. I enjoy streaming this engaging show about our edible community here in Vermont.

Prince charming and I had a wonderful Greek Feast last night. I cooked and cooked some more. Cookies were baked but before that I made hazelnut chocolate chunk banana bread. OMG! So good. This will end up at IBM in Prince Charming's break room. What can I say, I had the bananas and wanted to make use of them. At the end of all this, my baking section of the kitchen looked like a tornado went through. This is all so much fun! You, are what ties this all together. Thank you for following along and sending detailed emails. We are half way! Later this week I am making a gluten-free sweet treat.

Pecan Blizzards are full of flavor. They are buttery like a crescent cookie but coated in mocha confectioner sugar similar to a Mexican wedding cookie.

Pecan Blizzard Cookies

Makes about 32 cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup pecans, chopped

Mocha dust:

3/4 cups powdered sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons espresso powder, and 1 tablespoon cocoa powder.

Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add flour and salt. Mix on low. Stir in pecans. Mix until well combined.

Preheat over to 400. Prepare 1 large baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. Form dough into finger shaped rolls, using a scant tablespoon of dough per cookie. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until very lightly browned at the edges. Gently roll the cookies immediately in the mocha dust while still warm. Place on a rack. When cooled pile onto your platter or cookie tins and dust with the rest of the mocha dust.