Blueberry Basil Pecan Cookies with Basil Buttercream Frosting

(Third Place)

Makes 4 dozen

Cookie dough:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

⁄2 cup packed brown sugar 1

2 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

⁄2 teaspoon salt 1

2 cups finely chopped pecans

Basil buttercream:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature

1⁄2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1⁄2 cup milk

1⁄2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or roughly chopped

1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar

Blueberry basil jam (see note)

Make cookie dough: In a bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy and smooth. Stir in egg yolks and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour and salt. Then slowly mix into butter and sugar mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Dip balls into slightly beaten egg whites, then roll in chopped pecans.

Place balls 1 inch apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven 5 minutes. Remove from oven but leave oven on. Press thumb gently into center of each cookie. Return cookies to oven and bake 5 to 10 minutes more.

Remove cookies to wire racks to cool.

Meanwhile, make basil buttercream: Combine cream cheese, butter, milk, basil, vanilla extract and powdered sugar and beat until creamy. Buttercream will be speckled with pretty pieces of basil. (Note: Although there is a lot of basil, the flavor is very subtle and light.)

Fill indentations of cooled cookies with buttercream and top each with about 1/8 teaspoon of blueberry basil jam. (You will not use all the buttercream.)

I make my own jam, but if you cannot find blueberry basil jam, regular blueberry jam is fine. Or, chop and then muddle 1⁄2 cup of fresh basil leaves into a small jar (or half of a larger jar) of blueberry jam.

Note: