Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookie Cups With Panther Pride Butter Cream Frosting Peaks

Inspired by a Betty Crocker recipe

Makes 44 cookie cups

Ingredients:

1 C shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
½ C light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
3 t vanilla
2 C all-purpose flour
2 t baking soda
1 ½ t salt
¾ C chopped pecans
¾ C semi-sweet morsels
6 T softened butter
About 1 C of powdered sugar
½ t vanilla
1-2 T heavy cream

Direction:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly, VERY lightly butter the inside of a mini muffin pan. Set aside.
• Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the shortening, sugars, eggs, vanilla until whipped and incorporated. For about 1-2 minutes on high. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add the salt, soda and flour, a little at a time until all incorporated. Add the pecans and chocolate chips and blend. Spoon a heaping serving spoon full of dough into each cup as if you were dropping each cookie onto a cookie sheet. Do not pack down. This recipe makes about 44-46 small mini cups. Cook each for 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and then using fingers, simply lift each one out to cool on a rack.
• In another small bowl, combine the butter and powdered sugar until mixed. Then begin adding heavy cream, about a teaspoon at a time, until it is the consistency of stiff frosting. Add a drop or two of blue food coloring (or color of your choice, for that matter!) Pipe out into dollops onto each cookie, using the amount of your choosing.
• Serve with cold milk and hide your scales. Enjoy!