Monday, September 29, 2014

The MIXED Dixie Crystals Pre-Conference Baking Contest 2014! {#MIXEDCon}

A little over three weeks ago, the day that the MIXED conference
announced the third annual, Dixie Crystals Sugar pre-conference
baking contest, I whipped up a batch of my husband's favorite cookies
and vowed to enter. But then I remembered... I've attended MIXED two
years in a row and have therefore tasted the awesome talent of the baking
geniuses who tend to enter these types of recipe contests... So I naturally
talked myself out of entering... Like 500 times. But tonight, with literally
less than sixteen minutes left on the entrance deadline, I've decided that...
Even if my Pecan-Cranberry Florentine cookies don't win this
year's MIXED sugar showdown, you still deserve to be introduced to
the cookies my husband always tells me taste like an autumn sunset!
Next to the incredible taste, these cookies are
super easy to make and don't even require a mixer!
Preheat oven to 350°. Then, in a heavy-bottom sauce pan, melt
three tablespoons unsalted butter and 2/3 cups Dixie Crystals
granulated sugar. Add 1/2 cup whipping cream and stir...
Bring mixture to a boil very slowly and when it just begins to bubble,
remove pan from heat and stir in: One and a third cups chopped pecans,
one tablespoon dried cranberries, the zest of one and a half oranges, 2
teaspoons crystallized ginger, chopped and one-half cup sifted AP flour!
Smells like an autumn sunset, I promise!
Stir mixture with a wooden spoon or rubber scraper until fully combined...
Then drop by tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet...
Or onto a Silpat mat...
Bake cookies 10-12 minutes or until edges turn golden brown...
While cookies are still warm, use a spoon or off-set
spatula to shape them back into rounds if necessary...
And, allow cookies to cool on baking sheet or move them to a
cutting board covered with a sheet of wax or parchment paper
Melt ten ounces of dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set
over a pan of boiling water. When chocolate is completely
melted, add one teaspoon vegetable oil and stir...
Then, coat the smooth side of your cookies with it! I've
also added caramel to some of the cookies and popped them
into the freezer to set the caramel before coating with chocolate...
Which always makes my sweetie extra happy! Either
way, with or without caramel, sprinkle cookies with
more chopped pecans before chocolate sets and enjoy!

I'm excited to be attending MIXED again this year and if you'd like to join the fun tickets are still available here

If you need a little encouragement, (as if the outrageous give-aways, swag, people you meet and blogger education weren't enough...) you can read about my experiences at MIXED here! 

3 comments:

  1. Oh, how I would love to attend MIXED! One of these years; it's on my bucket list. Those cookies are a thing of beauty. They might even tempt my "chocolate chip only" cookie eater. :)

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  2. I hope that you have a great time at Mixed! xx

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  3. I love the sound of these cookies - such wonderful ingredients and they look so good. Looking forward to meeting you at Mixed!

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