Cookies are one of the world's greatest sweet morsels (each bite, that is), sheer deliciousness. Chocolate chip cookies. Sugar cookies. Peanut butter cookies. Double chocolate cookies. Oatmeal cookies. Lemon, apple-cherry, blueberry-and-cream, raspberry delight, any fruit you like cookies! Just the beginning of endless possibilities. Toss in the world's greatest nut, the pecan, and ooh la la! Butter pecan, caramel pecan, orange pecan, maple pecan (just to name a few) become cookies a la oh my gosh crunchy goodness! Let's celebrate!

September 21 is...

National Pecan Cookie Day

The fruit o

f the pecan tree - pecan nuts - have a rich, buttery flavor that makes them a fine ingredient in baking as we all know. Did you know that a handful of pecans a day has been know to help reduce cholesterol? Not bad, for a nut!

With National Pecan Cookie Day comes the opportunity to bake a delicious batch of homemade pecan cookies. While preparing the cookies, bits of the tasty little pecans just might find their way first onto the hand, then, into the mouth. And, don't forget the tastiness of the cookie dough. Maybe even stir a spoonful into a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Oops! Getting off track.

Pecans are an excellent source of protein, unsaturated fats, and healthy antioxidants. With more than 1,000 varieties of pecan in the world, there is no reason why anyone doesn't eat a handful of pecans daily.

Check out some of the great recipes below and bake a batch of pecan cookies for National Pecan Cookie Day! While the cookies are baking, read about A Bit of Cookie History right here at Awakenings.

Aprons ready? Get to work and get them made!