Twice Baked Kreme Cookies

These are basically pecan tassies’ fancier cousin, except the cookie shell is built around almond extract instead of cream cheese, and the filling gets a quick second bake to set into something glossy and chewy. The two-bake method is what separates these from any drop cookie.

The shells go first. Press one-inch dough balls evenly up the sides of an ungreased muffin cup so you have a thin, tart-like wall and a flat bottom. Don’t overfill the cups, the dough puffs slightly during the first bake.

Then comes the filling. Margarine, corn syrup, and powdered sugar go to a brief boil, just enough to dissolve everything into a thin caramel before the chopped nuts get folded in. Spoon it into the warm shells.

A short stint back in a cooler oven sets the filling without browning the shells. The result is a crisp, almond-scented cup with a sticky, candy-like center.

Cool completely before lifting from the tin. Warm filling oozes out and you’ll lose half the cookies trying to free them.

Pro Tips

• Pecans are the classic choice but walnuts or chopped almonds also work. Toast them first for richer flavor.
• Run a thin knife around each cookie before popping out of the tin.
• Lower the oven for the second bake. The first bake sets the shell, the second sets the filling without burning the edges.
• Use a standard muffin tin, not mini, unless you scale down the dough portions.

Variations

• Stir in a tablespoon of bourbon or dark rum with the corn syrup for a grown-up version.
• Drizzle cooled cookies with melted chocolate for an extra layer of richness.
• Use brown sugar in place of half the powdered sugar for a deeper caramel note.