Pecan Pie Cookie Cups

This is my brand new cookie recipe that I developed just for Millie's Cookie Extravaganza in which she invited me to participate. When she asked me a few months back, I agreed, thinking how much fun it was going to be to develop a brand new cookie, but then I kept having to e-mail her to let her know that my recipe was taking longer to develop than I thought. The filling was tricky, but finally I had a version I was happy to submit. When she first brought the Extravaganza up to me, I included my family in on the decision making process on what kind of cookie to create. My first thought, as always, leaned towards chocolate, but G's favorite flavors are pecan, molasses and butterscotch. So, it was no surprise when he suggested pecan pie. I reminded him these had to be cookies, and then we struck gold: Pecan Pie Cookie Cups! With molasses, just for my G. Butterscotch couldn't be worked in here, but I'll think of something for him. I hope you have fun making these; they were a total hit with my blessings, so I feel confident passing on the recipe to you.

Pecan Pie Cookie Cups

Creating the wells

Filling the wells. This picture was taken before I had perfected the filling; I was just taking shots documenting the steps. So, the filling isn't my latest version, and I'm not using a tablespoon here. Ignore the details, just get lost in the big picture. :-)

What happens when you go nose first into a Pecan Pie Cookie Cup - thank you, JK. But notice how the filling stays in the cup? It's wonderfully creamy, but firm enough to hold its shape.

Pecan Pie Cookie Cups

Ingredients:

Cups:

2 and 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup vegan margarine, softened
1 and 1/2 cups vegan or raw sugar
1 Tbs. EnerG Egg Replacer
4 Tbs. water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cups pecans, ground

Filling:

2 and 1/2 cups water
2 and 1/2 Tbs. agar agar flakes
1 and 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. molasses
Pecan halves

Directions:

For the cups:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl., whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar. Add the Egg Replacer, water and vanilla, and beat until well mixed. Add the flour mixture by halves and beat on medium or low speed until thoroughly blended. Add the ground pecans and stir until well mixed. Lightly grease a cupcake pan, bottom and sides, and lightly flour each bottom of every cup. Take the cookie dough by tablespoon and form a ball. Put each ball into a cup, and create a small well with a melon baller. Make sure you do not create a hole all the way through. Bake for ten minutes. When done, take the melon baller and go around each well gently to make sure they retain their shape. Cool on a rack for fifteen minutes in the pan. Take a butter knife and carefully run it around each edge of the cups, and gently remove each cookie cup. Finish cooling completely on the rack. When completely cool, place the cups on a cookie sheet to prepare for the filling step.

For the filling:

Put all of the ingredients, except the pecans, in a medium pot on high heat. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until agar agar is dissolved. Pour into a mixing bowl and let cool for 30 minutes. Stir thoroughly every ten minutes while the mixture is cooling. After 30 minutes, set your mixer on low speed and slowly work your way up to medium speed, beating the filling. Beat for ten minutes, then return to medium low speed and beat for five more minutes. You may need to periodically scrape the side of the bowl to ensure that all the filling gets continually beaten. I know this sounds like a long time to hold a mixer and beat, but it's worth it to get the right filling. The end result should resemble loose pudding. Spoon the filling by tablespoon into each cookie cup. Nestle a pecan half on top. Chill for several hours to finish setting. Can be served cold or at room temperature. The filling will not harden but stay creamy, but will be firm enough to stay in the cup while being eaten. Very good and unique. Makes about 30 Pecan Pie Cookie Cups. Feeds five hungry vegans for a couple of days.