Acorn Cookies (Recipe)

Ingredients

1 cup butter or margarine melted

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 3/4 cups finely chopped pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate pieces

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter or margarine with the brown sugar until well blended.  Stir in 3/4 cup of the pecans and the vanilla.

3. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder.  Beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture until combined.

4. Roll pieces of the dough into small (1-inch-diameter) balls.  Place the balls 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

5. To shape the cookies, gently press down on each cookie to flatten the bottom, then pinch up the top of the cookie to form the point of the acorn.

6. Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes or until they are golden.  Cool the cookies on wire racks.

7. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over warm water.

8. Dip the flattened bottoms of the cookies into the chocolate to make a "cap" for the acorn, then dip the chocolate cap into the remaining chopped pecans.  Cool the cookies completely on waxed paper.

Tips:

These cookies are so easy you don't even need a mixing bowl.  You can mix them right in the saucepan you use to melt the butter.

If you don't own a double boiler, just melt the chocolate in a heavy saucepan over very low heat and watch it carefully.  Or to melt the chocolate in your microwave: Place the chocolate pieces in a 2-cup glass measure.  Cook the chocolate uncovered, on 100% power (high), for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes or until it is soft enough to stir smooth, stirring every minute of cooking.