Mini Food Processor & Pinwheel Cookies

First I want to apologize for not posting weekly like I want to. It's been crazy at work lately and by the time I come home I don't want to even look at a computer so my blog has been neglected. Hopefully things will start calming down a little soon.

The cooking gadget I want to tell you about today is a mini food processor. I like to take pictures of my personal gadgets instead of pulling one from a website so you can see that I actually own and use the gadget, but in this case I'm a little embarrassed to show you my mini food processor. Let's just say if it falls out of a cupboard onto a hard floor, the mini food processor bounces a few times AND keeps working! I love my mini food processor! The main thing I use it for is chopping nuts. For these cookies you want the nuts chopped up pretty small and it would take forever to do that with a knife or one of those hand cranked nut choppers (which I also own but use as decoration). The mini food processor is great for chopping other stuff like herbs, onions, garlic and other small stuff. I've also seen it used to make ham salad for one sandwich.. It chops the ham and mixes it all together at the same time. Since I use my mini food processor for mostly chopping nuts, here is a nutty cookie recipe. If you like pecan pie, you'll love these cookies! When I asked my sister what she wanted for her 21st birthday she said she wanted Pinwheel Cookies. If you don't have much patience for baking, these cookies will frustrate you. They aren't a hurry up and whip up kind of cookie and if you try to make it into one, you'll have a huge mess and will be extremely frustrated. Trust me, I know. They are well worth the wait and the time. Sorry for the not so great picture. For some reason these cookies are hard to get pictures of.

Pinwheel Cookies

Makes 3 Rolls (about 132 cookies)

Cookie Dough:

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup butter

3 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:
3 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Combine brown sugar and butter; add eggs and other dough ingredients. Chill dough for several hours or overnight.

Cook the filling ingredients on the stove until think (about 5 minutes) and cool.

Roll or pat out cookie dough on wax paper (thinly), then spread on filling. Roll up and put in refrigerator for 24 hours. This is VERY important! Trust me!!!!!!!!

Unroll wax paper and slice cookies thin. Bake 10 minutes at 375°.

Very good served warm or cooled!

Enjoy!