If you have been reading this blog for a while you know that I love to turn things into cookies. These pecan pie filling cookies might be my best conversion yet and my first pie to cookie conversion. They have the flavor of pecan pie but the soft warm texture of a cake. They go great with a steaming hot cup of coffee.
Curious how I even begin to convert recipes? It has a lot to do with my favorite kitchen book by Harold McGee. Being a scientist, I like to understand how each ingredient plays a role in the final product and this book helped me tremendously. It also helped me when I first tinkered with the Science of Cookies.
I bought this pecan pie filling back in July on a road trip through Kansas. If you’ve ever road tripped through Kansas via I-70 you know it’s flat and boring (sorry neighbors) but there are tons of billboards advertising Grandma Hoerner’s. I needed a break so I stopped and was not disappointed. They sell homemade BBQ sauces, pie fillings, fruit spreads, etc. I eyed this Pecan Pie filling with bourbon and vanilla and have been waiting for the moment to do something with it.
Since Strudel and I are bringing you some holiday favorites this month I thought I would share this one because it’s a new favorite. Don’t worry, you don’t have to go all the way to Kansas to make these cookies. I did an ingredient review and Trader Joe’s Pecan Pie filling is so darn close I can’t tell the difference (minus the bourbon) and neither brands have corn syrup!
Place the shortening and eggs in the bowl of stand mixer and with the paddle attached, beat until well combined.
Dump the entire pie filling into the bowl and let the jar drain out all of the gooey delicious liquid before discarding. Beat just until combined.
Sift the flours and baking soda together and then beat into the pie filling mixture. Only beat just until mixed, scrap down the sides of the bowl, beat briefly again and then refrigerate the bowl for at least an hour until the dough is chilled. It will be slightly thicker than cake batter.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Cover a half sheet baking pan with a silicon mat or parchment paper and using a 1/4 c. cookie scoop, scoop 8 cookies onto the pan leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and almost set in the middle. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies still on the warm pan for another few minutes before moving to a cooking rack.
Notes
I judge a cookie by the taste of its batter and even though this batter’s fat source is exclusively shortening and I rarely enjoy eating cookie dough with shortening by the spoonfuls, this batter was fluffy and wonderful before baked. The bourbon in this pie filling comes through in the batter!
Strudel and Streusel are two friends living in different cities, sharing a love of baking (and butter) through this blog. With Streusel in Denver, and Strudel in Seattle, we've found our little site to be a great way to stay in touch, share recipes we love, and talk about experiences in our respective cities.
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