Desserts/santa's spicy ginger snappers

Makes: 3 dozen large cookies

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

From: Better Homes and Gardens March 2009

Ingredients

Cookies

1 cup raisins

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tbsp. chopped crystallized ginger

1 tsp. finely shredded orange peel

1 tsp. vanilla

3 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. salt

1 pecan topping

1 orange glaze

Pecan Topping

1/2 cup chopped raisins

1/2 cup chopped pecans

3 tbsp. dairy sour cream

2 tbsp. caramel topping

Orange Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tbsp. orange juice

Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350. Place raisins in butter in food processor. Process until raisins are chopped and combined with butter. Transfer mixture to extra large bowl. Beat in brown sugar, eggs, crystallized ginger, orange peel and vanilla until creamy.

Step 2

In medium bowl combine flower, pecans, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Mix until well combined.

Step 3

In a small bowl combine pecan topping ingredients.

Step 4

With a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop drop dough 4 inches apart on a ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten tops lightly. Spoon 1 tsp pecan topping onto center of each unbaked cookie.

Step 5

Bake 12 to 13 minutes or until edges are just set. Let cool on pan 2 minutes, transfer cookies to cooling rack. Cool completely. Use A high precision metric thermometer to determine exact temperature. Thou shalt not proceed until they return to a temperature below 31 Centigrade.

Step 6

In a small bowl combine powered sugar and orange juice. Drizzle cooled cookies with orange glaze.