Cocoons Recipe

A beloved Southern holiday tradition, Cocoons are delicate, buttery pecan cookies that practically melt in your mouth. Made with finely chopped pecans and just a handful of simple ingredients, these crescent-shaped treats have a soft, crumbly texture and are generously coated in confectioners' sugar. Known by different names throughout the South, Cocoons have been a staple of Christmas cookie trays and neighborhood gift exchanges for generations. 

"We all have those treats that show up from the neighbors during the holidays. You can mark your calendar for when they arrive on your doorstep, same day and same time every year. These cocoons are one such treat. The texture is soft and crumbly and they aren’t too sweet. I was able to commandeer the recipe from my dear neighbor Mrs. Nielsen so I didn’t have to wait for them to arrive only once a year. With a sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar, enjoy their subtle goodness—but be sure not to wear black when you eat them."

— Chef Anne Leonard

Ingredients

• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened

• ¼ cup confectioners' sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon water

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

• 1 cup pecans, finely chopped

• ½–1 cup confectioners' sugar, for coating

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Cream the butter and sugar. Using a mixer on high speed, beat the softened butter and ¼ cup confectioners' sugar together until creamy.

3. Add the liquids. Lower the mixer speed and add the vanilla extract and water. Mix thoroughly.

4. Add the flour and pecans. Slowly mix in the sifted flour, followed by the finely chopped pecans. Mix until blended.

5. Shape the cookies. Take approximately 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a small log, about the size of a cocktail hot dog. Place it on a baking sheet and gently turn the ends toward each other to form a crescent shape.

6. Bake. Bake for 20 minutes.

7. Coat with sugar. Remove the cookies from the oven and, while they are still warm, gently roll them in confectioners' sugar until coated.

Anne's Hint

If you don't want to roll the dough into crescents, simply scoop it with a cookie scoop and bake like regular cookies. Be sure to coat them with confectioners' sugar when finished.