Chocolate Spice Cookies

2010 Currier & Ives Cookie Tour cookie
Ingredients: 
  • 1-3/4 cups Pecan pieces
  • 1 cup confectioner's sugar
  • 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar​, plus 1/2 cup for coating
  • 3 Tbls. unsweetened cocoa powder​
  • 1/4 teas. salt
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 teas. NHHS Vanilla extract
  • 1 teas. NHHS Ground Cinnamon
  • Powdered sugar for dusting
​Directions:
Adjust oven racks to upper-middle position & heat oven to 325F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a food processor:
Process pecans & confectioner's sugar until pecans are finely ground, about 45 seconds.
Add chocolate, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, & salt and process until chocolate is finely ground, about 30 seconds.
Add egg whites & vanilla and pulse until dough forms, about 10 pulses.

Transfer dough to a pieces of parchment paper & knead gently to form a smooth ball. Let dough sit untilno longer sticky, about 10 minutes.
Top with second piece of parchment & roll dough 1/4 inch thick.
Transfer dough, still between the parchment, to refrigerator & let chill 10 minutes.

Spread remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar into a shallow dish. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut dough in circles.
Gather & reroll scraps as necessary (rechill scraps if necessary before rerolling).
Dip both sides of each cookie in granulated sugar to coat; space cookies 1 inch apart on cookie sheets.

Bake until puffed & cracked but centers are still soft, 13 - 15 minutes, switching & rotating the cookie sheets halfway through baking. 
Let cookies cool on sheets for 15 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.

Let cookies cool completely & then dust with powded sugar before serving.
​
​Enjoy!