Mrs. Germack’s Pecan Delights

At the age of 19, I lived in an apartment building next door to an 80 year-old German woman. During my first holiday season there, she taught me how to bake her favorite Christmas cookie. The recipe for Pecan Delights looks simple. The cookie itself is a small and simple looking pale colored disc with a pecan centered on top. But this much overlooked cookie on the cookie tray is packed with flavor. I bake it nearly every year and I’ve never found another cookie with the same delicate, sweet flavor. The secret is the small amount of cream cheese that goes into the batter.

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 oz. cream cheese
• 2 cups sifted flour
• Whole pecans

Mix together cream cheese, sugar, and egg yolk. Add vanilla, beat well. Add flour and mix just until blended. Roll into small 1″ size balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press a whole pecan in the center of each cookie. Bake at 350º for 10 to 12 minutes or just until edges are brown.