Chocolate Drizzled Praline Cookies

This recipe works well as Christmas cookies or any time of year. A crisp-chewy toffee type cookie is topped with drizzled chocolate. Makes about 40 cookies.

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons shortening

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Use an electric mixer to beat the butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in the brown sugar and baking powder. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer, then stir in any remaining flour. Stir in the nuts.

Form the dough into small balls and place on an ungreased, insulated cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown underneath, about 9 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

In a small bowl, combine the chocolate chips and shortening. Microwave for 20-second intervals, stirring after each 20 seconds, until melted and smooth. Spoon the chocolate mixture into a Ziploc bag, then snip off a tiny amount from the corner of the bag. Gentle squeeze to pipe the chocolate over the cookies in whatever pattern(s) you desire. Let stand until the chocolate has set.