Pearson's Nut Goodies

Ever Ready Heading into Holiday Baking 

A Minnesota Classic- Nut Goodies

A candy bar and a newspaper article article were the inspiration for this blog posting. 

Nut Goodie is a candy bar manufactured by Pearson's Candy Company, St. Paul, Minnesota and available in some parts of the United States. It is a concoction of chocolate, maple, and peanuts. The Nut Goodie was once a 2 oz. bar and then shrunk to 1.75 oz., which has been its current size for the past 30 years.

The Nut Goodie was introduced in 1912 as one of the first manufactured products of Pearson's Candy Company for the cost of 5¢. It went on to become one of the company's most successful products and is still available today, outlasting other Pearson's candy bars like the Seven-Up Bar. At some point during its history the recipe and wrapper were slightly changed, but restored to the original recipe and wrapper when two Pearson's employees bought the company in 1985.

Enter Crystal Schlueter of Babbitt, MN
She was the first place winner of Star and Tribune (newspaper) Holiday Cookie Recipes with her original recipe Nut Goodie Thumbprints.  It looked to me like a winning combination with a Minnesota favorite candy bar reconfigured into one delicious cookie. 

Enter Ever Ready on to the baking scene. 

I decided to give the recipe my own spin which almost required  me to cross over to the Dark Side. 

It was 8:30 PM and I discovered I was missing a key ingredient Sweetened Condensed Milk. Never mind the fact I was just at the grocery store a few hours before. A call to a neighbor pro duced 1 can of sweetened condensed milk but with an expiration date of 2014. Dare I use it? I entertained the idea UNTIL cookie police intervened and yelled STOP! You can't use that can. Seems my husband consulted GOOGLE  who in turn said not safe if upon opening can it was brown.  And indeed it was. Now it was getting towards 9:00 PM and a car ride back to the store did not seem desirable. So back to GOOGLE who delivered and saved my evening  with a perfect substitute recipe to make my own sweetened condensed milk. Who would have guessed that was even an option!

Nut Goodie Thumbprints

Cook's Notes:

These cookies were delicious-pure bliss with some of the same candy bar flavors. The recipe makes 18-20 cookies and was adapted. 

Cooking tips; Advance prep makes the assembly go faster.  Chop the nuts and make the filling ahead. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Keep hands floured when rolling cookie dough balls.  

Cookie Ingredients: 

• 1 cup flour
•  1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa 
• 1/4 tsp. salt 
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
•  1 large egg separated
• 2 TB. whole milk or half and half 
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped roasted salted peanuts 

Filling Ingredients;

• 2 TB. butter at room temperature
• 2 TB, sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp. maple extract 
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla 
• 1-1/2 tsp. whole milk or half and half
• 1 cup powdered sugar  

Ganache Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 2 TB. heavy cream

Filling Directions:

• Combine butter, sweetened condensed milk, maple extract, vanilla extract, milk and powdered sugar. Beat until well combined-set aside.

Cookie Directions:

• Whisk flour, cocoa powder and salt, set aside. 
• In a medium bowl beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. 
• Add egg yolk, milk and vanilla, beat until thoroughly combined. Gradually add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Refrigerate dough until chilled about 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Use a fork and beat egg white 1 minute.
• Roll cookie dough into 1 inch balls. Dip half of each cookie dough ball into egg white and then into crushed nuts. Place dough balls nut side up. Bake cookies until set about 10 minutes. Make a small indentation with finger in center of each cookie.  Let cookies cool 5 minutes before transferring  to a wire rack to continuing cooling process.While cookies are still warm spoon filling into each indentation. Place cookies on a plate in refrigerator to set.   

Ganache Directions:

• Combine chocolate and cream in a microwavable bowl. Do 20 seconds at a time and stir until melted. Add a dollop of chocolate to each cookie.  
  

Remember the popular Nut Goodie Bars from years ago?
Rich and sinfully good

Check out the previously posted recipe on Ever Ready
http://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2012/04/world-according-to-bella_16.html