Pecan pie....or not!

Two of my favorite things in life are:

1. Cookies!!!!

2. Pecan Pie

oh and 3...my husband of course! Sorry Enz!

My love of the common cookie is beyond measure. I mean what is there not to like about cookies? Your options are endless...crispy or chewy, chocolate or vanilla, topped or filled, dipped or sandwiched, bite-sized or super sized, topped with jam, filled with peanut butter, rolled in sprinkles, dredged in powdered sugar...I can go on and on! I freaking LOVE cookies and you will probably notice that most of my blogging will consist of cookies! Anyway back to my point! When I came across a recipe combining my two "loves" I knew it would be the perfect addition to our dessert table for this Thanksgiving. This recipe does not disappoint! Buttery, chewy & gooey, it's as close as you can get to a pecan pie while still keeping it simple and less traditional.

Cookie Ingredients:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 p firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all cookie ingredients except flour and baking powder in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour and baking powder. Beat until well mixed. Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Make indentation in each cookie with thumb; rotate thumb to hollow out slightly.Combine all filling ingredients in small bowl; fill each cookie with 1 rounded teaspoon filling. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.