I wanted to add several Arizona elements to the cookie so I blended up some pecans till they were fine and added it to the dough. My grandpa has pecan trees in his orchard and every winter we enjoy fresh pecans and oranges from his trees. That is why I added a little orange extract to the glaze. Combine that with the cactus jelly and you have one amazing Arizona cookie! All of the flavors just go together perfectly. Check out all our United States of Cookies recipes here. Recipe and photo courtesy of Adell from Baked in Arizona.

Ingredients

FOR THE COOKIES:

1 cup Cold Butter diced
1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 cups + 2 Tbsp Organic Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour 10.6 ounces
1/2 cup Pecans blended in food processor (measure then blend till fine)
5 oz Prickly Pear Jelly

FOR THE GLAZE:

1 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp Orange Extract
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp Water

Instructions

FOR THE COOKIES

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat or parchment paper.
With a hand held mixer, combine your butter and sugars together in a medium sized bowl. Add the vanilla then add the flour and pecans. The mixture will be dry. Take a spoon or spatula and mix till it comes together.
Using a small cookie scoop, make round balls and place on prepared sheet. With your thumb or finger, press into the center of the dough to make a "thumbprint." If they crack, smooth edges a little. Very lightly, press down on the edges so they are slightly flatter. Fill the centers with the prickly pear cactus jelly.
Bake for 9-10 minutes or until the cookie is just set. While cookies are baking, make the glaze.

FOR THE GLAZE:

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Let the cookies cool a little then drizzle the glaze over the top. You can use a fork for a more rustic look or a plastic bag for a clean looking glaze. Fill the bag with the glaze then snip the corner with scissors and drizzle over the top of the cookies.
Store in an airtight container.