Pecan Cinnamon Shortbread

Yield: 24 cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup roasted pecans, or walnuts

1 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon  (original recipe called for 2 teaspoons lemon juice or finely grated lemon zest) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions: Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Place pecans (or walnuts, if using) in food processor; process until finely ground. Add butter, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla; process until well blended. Add flour; process using on/off pulsing action until dough is well blended and begins to form a ball. Shape pieces of dough into 1-1/2-inch balls; roll in additional sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets; flatten. Bake cookies 17-19 minutes*, or just until set and edges are lightly browned. Remove cookies from baking sheets to wire rack to cool. *Note: Cookies should be a very pale light golden color, so be careful not to overbake.

sauteed arugula and mushrooms

4 servings

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
10 ounces mushrooms, quartered
1 red onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup vermouth or 1/3 cup white wine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch chili pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano or parsley)
8 cups arugula, ripped into bite size pieces washed and spun dry
nutmeg

Directions:

1
In a large pan heat oil over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, onions, and garlic stirring all the while cooking about 4 minutes the pan will be dry till the mushrooms release some liquid.
2
Deglaze the pan with vermouth.
3
Add salt, pepper flakes, herbs, nutmeg and arugula. Cook till wilted about 2-3 minutes.

Pecan Cinnamon Shortbread

These are SO GOOD!  I did not achieve a texture anything like Polvorones but whatever I did achieve tastes very good! It came out more like a regular shortbread, not flaky and light.

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup pecans
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. sea salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened (I used to use a full stick)
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract, preferably Mexican
1 cup confectioners' sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine pecans and ¼ cup sugar in food processor, and process until very finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add remaining sugar along with flour, cinnamon, and salt, and pulse until evenly incorporated. Add butter and vanilla, and process until dough just comes together and forms a ball. Transfer ball to lightly floured work surface, and form into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Meanwhile, place confectioners' sugar in a large bowl; set aside.

2. Heat oven to 350°. Transfer dough to work surface, and using a rolling pin, roll dough until ½" thick. Using a 1 ¼" round cutter, cut out cookies and transfer to parchment paper—lined baking sheets, spacing them 2" apart. Reroll dough scraps and cut out more cookies; transfer to the baking sheet. Chill cookies for 30 minutes. Bake, rotating baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking, until lightly browned and set, about 14 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, and then place in bowl of confectioners' sugar; toss to coat evenly in sugar and serve.

Alternative 2nd step:

I pressed the refridgerated dough into a greased 9-inch round cake pan.  I used a fork to prick around the edges and in the center.  Then I proceeded with the original steps starting with "chill cookies for 30 minutes...".