Bacon, Blue Cheese & Pecan Cocktail Cookies

By darleneandjoel

Serve this with a nice dry martini.

From Kathy Casey's Sips and Apps.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (about 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 ounces) pecans
• 4 strips bacon, minced (you should have 1/2 cup packed)
• Salted butter, as needed to make 1/2 cup bacon drippings
• 1 cup (about 4 3/4 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
• 1 tsp minced fresh thyme, or 1/4 tsp dried
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup all purpose flour

Details

Servings 36
Preparation time 60mins
Cooking time 74mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350.

Spread the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 5-6 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.

In a medium skillet or saute pan over medium to medium-high heat, saute the bacon until crispy, about 5 minutes; do not scorch. Drain the drippings into a heatproof measuring cup, and reserve the bacon separately. Let cool. to the cooled drippings add butter as needed to make 1/2 cup total.

With an electric mixer, cream the cheese, thyme and pepper together in a mixing bowl. Add the butter mixture and mix in well. Add the flour and mix the dough for about 2 minutes. Add the bacon and nuts and mix until just evenly combined. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes to chill.

Preheat the oven to 350 at least 20 minutes before baking. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or leave them ungreased.

Scoop up the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls and shape into 1-inch diameter balls (you should get 36-40). Place, spaced 2 inches apart, on the baking sheets. With a fork, flatten to 1 1/2 inch disks, dipping the tines into flour as needed, and making crisscross patterns as you would on peanut butter cookies. Bake until lightly golden at the edges, about 14-16 minutes. Cool on the pan