- 20 mins
- 45 mins
Ingredients
- Prep: 20 minutes Bake: 25 minutes at 325°F Cool: 5 minutes
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans, walnuts, cashews, almonds, peanuts, or pistachio nuts
Preparation
Step 1
1. Preheat oven to 3250F. In a large bowl stir together flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling. Stir in nuts. Using your hands, form mixture into a ball and knead until smooth. Slightly flatten ball.
2. Place dough on an ungreased cookie sheet and cover with waxed paper. Roll dough into a l0-inch circle; remove waxed paper. Crimp dough to make a scalloped edge. Cut circle into 12 wedges; leave wedges in circle.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until bottom just starts to brown and center is set. Cut circle into wedges again while warm. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then finish as directed in one of the variations below, or as desired. Makes 12 wedges.
PISTACHIO-FRUIT: Spread cookie wedges with 3 ounces melted white baking chocolate with cocoa butter. Top with J/4 cup chopped pistachio nuts, 2 tablespoons snipped dried cranberries, and 2 tablespoons snipped dried apricots. Drizzle with i ounce additional melted white baking chocolate with cocoa butter:
Variations:
BANANA-WALNUT: Spread cookie wedges with 3/4 cup vanilla frosting. Top with a mixture of 1/4 cup broken dried banana chips, 1/4cup chopped walnuts, and l/4 cup crushed vanilla wafers. If desired, drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons caramel-flavor ice cream topping.
BLACK FOREST: Spread cookie wedges with 3/4 cup chocolate frosting. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries, drained and patted dry, and 1/4 cup sliced almonds. If desired, top with spoonsful of whipped cream and sprinkle with chocolate jimmies.
CARAMEL-COCONUT: In a small saucepan cook and stir 12 unwrapped vanilla caramels and 2 tablespoons whipping cream over low heat until smooth. Drizzle cookie wedges with caramel mixture. Top with 1/4 cup toasted coconut and 1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds. Drizzle with 4 to 6 ounces melted bittersweet chocolate.
BERRIES AND CREAM: In a medium bowl combine one 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened; 1/4 cup powdered sugar; and 2 teaspoons shredded orange peel. Spread cookie wedges with cream cheese mixture. Top with 1 to 1 1/2 cups assorted fresh berries.
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SALTED NUT: In a saucepan cook and stir 24 unwrapped vanilla caramels and 2 tablespoons whipping cream over low heat until smooth. Spread cookie wedges with two-thirds of the caramel mixture. Top with two-thirds of a 7-ounce jar marshmallow cream. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cocktail peanuts; drizzle with the remaining caramel mixture.
TOFFEE CRUNCH: Spread cookie wedges with 2 ounces melted semisweet chocolate. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped pecans and 1/4 cup chocolate-covered toffee pieces. If desired, sprinkle with coarse salt.