Savory Pecan Cookie

Dough is a little crumbly, despite using an additional 1 tablespoon of cold water

Someone suggested that I try a savory cookie, so when I saw this, decided to give it a try! Turned out pretty good, though I had trouble cutting it 1/8 of an inch. Mine ended up being more like 1/4 of an inch and I baked them for an additional 5-7 minutes. I also added a little more grated Parmesan than it called for.

Here's what I did:

• Used 3/4 cup Parmesan, and frozen Sage (thawed for about 30 min and squeezed liquid out before chopping)
• Made cookie dough night before, and did end up added 1 tablespoon of cold water (though was still crumbly after doing that)
• Next day, cut cookie 1/4 of an inch. Brushed with egg wash and topped with sea salt.
• Baked for 15-17 minutes at 350 degrees.

Savory Pecan Cookie (Featured in: The Pecan Steps Off The Pie Plate. )

These little cookies are packed with savory flavors — black pepper, fresh sage and Parmesan — and are studded with chopped pecans. An ideal nibble with a glass of dry sherry or a cocktail, they are also welcome on a cheese board.

Ingredients

• 2 cups/310 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 cup roughly chopped pecans
• 1 ½ ounces/40 grams grated Parmesan (about 1 cup) (when I measured this- was 1/2 cup, so used 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese)             
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• Egg wash (see note)
• Coarse sea salt

• Preparation

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, pepper, salt, sage, pecans and Parmesan. Stir in oil and eggs and mix well. If dough seems crumbly, add a tablespoon of cold water and mix again.
  2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead dough for a minute or two, until smooth. Divide in half and roll each half into a cylinder that is 2 inches in diameter. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight.
  3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. With a thin-bladed knife, slice 1/8-inch-thick rounds from each cylinder.
  4. Use a spatula to transfer cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Paint each cookie lightly with egg wash, if using, and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake in batches for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container.

Tips

• To make an egg wash, beat 1 whole egg with 2 tablespoons water. Leftover egg wash may be kept refrigerated for 3 days.
• You may use cookie cutters if you'd like. In Step 2, shape the dough into a disc before chilling. In Step 3, use a rolling pin to roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness, and cut out shapes.