Pecan Cocoa Puffs

As a little girl, I loved baking, especially at Christmas. Back then, one of my favourite festive treats to make was Pecan Puffs from the Joy of Cooking. Fast-forward a few years and I’ve devised my own riff on these classic little melt-in-your-mouth sweet treats. Preparing these cocoa puffs is one of those treasured sentimental rituals that puts me in the festive spirit.

This At Home: Sarah Style recipe is easy to make and fun to prepare, especially when it comes time to dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Steps:

1. Using a food processor, pulse the pecans and chocolate until they are a fine meal.
2. Add the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla and blend again until the mixture resembles whipped butter.
3. Add the coconut and pulse until well blended, then add the flours on low speed until they’re mixed in (but do not over mix).
4. Remove the dough and transfer to a mixing bowl. Chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes, until the dough is cool and firm, then scoop it out with a teaspoon, roll into a ball, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (You can put them close together, as the dough doesn’t spread out much while cooking.)
5. Preheat the oven to 300˚F.
6. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the cookies start to turn golden brown.
7. Once the cookies are done, remove the sheet from the oven. Using a sieve, dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar. Leave the cookies to cool, transfer to a serving plate or cookie tin, and dust lightly once more.