With hurricane Issac hitting New Orleans on the 7th anniversary of Katrina, I have been thinking alot about things I miss from New Orleans. This particular item, Turtles, disappeared long before Katrina. A popular item from McKenzie’s bakery, Turtles are the perfect New Orleans cookie. So, here is the recipe from my cookbook, You can’t keep New Orleans out of the cook.
This cookie originated at the now closed McKenzie’s Bakeries
of New Orleans. The main reason for the inclusion of this recipe is
my nickname. For some reason, I was given the nickname turtle by
some friends. They never explained the reason to me. My guess was
I ran like a turtle playing softball. Maybe one day, I will find out the
real reason.
Cookies
1½ cups Flour sifted
¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
¼ teaspoon Salt
½ cup Butter
½ cup packed Brown Sugar
1 whole Egg
1 Egg separated
¼ teaspoon Vanilla
1/8 teaspoon Maple Flavor Extract
60 Pecan halves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Cream
the butter with the sugar until light and
fluffy. Beat in egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and maple flavoring. Set aside.
Sift together flour, salt and baking soda. Add dry ingredients gradually to the creamed mixture
until you have smooth dough and then chill 2 hours. Shape the chilled
dough into ovals like a turtle’s body. Dip bottoms into egg white.
Press pecan halves into bottom to form a head and feet for the turtle.
Place on cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set. Allow to
cool before frosting them.
Frosting
2 squares Unsweetened Chocolate
¼ cup Milk
1 tablespoon Butter
1 cup sifted Powdered Sugar
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the chocolate and
butter in the milk, and let stand until lukewarm. Mix in powdered
sugar until it reaches the consistency to spread. It should be thick
enough to “stand up” after being pushed through a decorating tube. If
not thick enough, let cool or stand to thicken. Decorate top of cookie
with Frosting from a pastry bag. It should look like a chocolate kiss
on top of the cookie.
Enjoy
