1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup lightly packed light
1 brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp vegetable shortening
1 25 to 30 caramels, cut in
1 half, rolled into balls
1 finely chopped pecans
Directions
Preparation time: 50 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Have ungreased baking sheets ready.
2. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl until
well-mixed. Stir in flour and baking powder. (If kitchen is warm,
refrigerate dough for a few minutes; dough should be firm enough to
roll easily.) Shape scant teaspoonsful of dough into balls about the
size of a marble. Place on baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches
between cookies. Flatten slightly.
3. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to
cool.
4. Melt chocolate chips with shortening in top of double boiler set
over simmering water. Remove from heat.
5. Flatten caramel halves so they are the same diameter as the
cookie. Put one caramel half on top of each cookie. (If necessary,
use a dab of chocolate as "glue" to help caramel adhere to cookie.)
Using a small metal spatula, spread melted chocolate thinly over top
and sides of caramel and cookie to cover. Press chopped pecans onto
tops of cookies. Let stand on a wire rack until chocolate firms
(refrigerate if desired), about 20 minutes. Put into individual paper
wrappers. Store in a cookie tin with a piece of wax paper between
each layer.
The first-place winner of the Tribune's 1991 Holiday Cookie Contest
is Elaine Rysner. She prefers to make the cookies small - about the
diameter of a quarter. Use high-quality caramels and chocolate for
the best cookies. from the Chicago Tribune fourth annual Food Guide
Holiday Cookie Contest December 5, 1991
Servings: 60 servings
1991 1st Place: Caramel Pecan Treasures Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Candy; Dessert; Nut; Pecan
The History of Recipes
Historians have found proof that recipes existed far back into the far past, at least as far back as the Egyptians, and possibly even further than that. Having said that, sadly, these early recipes were just simple pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for food preparation.
Interestingly, the most ancient recipe discovered so far, according to academics is a series of ancient tablets in the Sumerian language which describe the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made people feel exhilarated and blissful. During Roman times 25BC a roman called Apicius created some scripts which described recipes enjoyed by the Romans. In his works, he describes how the roman meals were separated into hors d`oeuvre, main course and dessert, something we still use today. Aspicius also describes how the cooks of Roman times used a wide range of spices, including many that are still in use today such as basil, fennel and parsley. Closer to modern times, we find a couple of interesting cookery books which date from the 1300s : a cookery book called `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary called `Curye on Inglish`. Despite their titles, these are not about the indian food that is familiar to us all today, but rather accounts of the types of meals cooked for the rich and powerful. Later, in the 15th century, people returning from the crusades brought back many new spices and herbs from middle-east cuisine, including spices such as basil and rosemary. The introduction of these new culinary ideas prompted an increase in recipe publications, most of which are now in private libraries. During the succeeding few centuries, the powerful and rich tried to serve up the most exotic banquets, and because of this chefs and their collection of recipes were much in demand. However, it wasn`t until the nineteenth century that haute cuisine and recipe books became really popular. Mrs Beeton in the UK, and Fannie Farmer in the US, devoted their lives to assembling, testing, and recording the recipes that were being prepared for the better households. By the time we get to the twentieth century, cookbooks are increasing in popularity mostly due to higher levels of literacy, leisure time and having more disposable income. |
We hope you enjoy this 1991 1st Place_ Caramel Pecan Treasures recipe.
