Vintage Pecan Icebox Cookies

These Vintage Pecan Icebox Cookies are made from a tried-and-true classic recipe from Imperial Sugar Pure Cane Sugar. The dough is chilled (or frozen) before baking so you can slice and bake as needed. 

Growing up in Houston, the only sugar we would ever buy was refined from pure cane syrup about 10 miles from my childhood home in a little town called, appropriately, Sugar Land. (The two-word name is one way we separate Texas transplants from locals, as newcomers tend to want to write it, Sugarland. It’s an amusing test.) 

Starting with a single sugar mill back in 1843 and then incorporated in 1905, Imperial Sugar is still my sugar of choice for all the varieties but nowadays it’s no longer a family enterprise. It is run as a subsidiary of United States Sugar Corporation. Thankfully, quality remains high though.

Over the years, Imperial Sugar produced many cookbooks, often in collaboration with the Parent-Teacher Association of Sugar Land as fundraisers. The 48-page promotional cookbook - A Bag Full of Recipes, 1930 edition - this recipe was adapted from was one of those, featuring classic household recipes and baking tips. 

Icebox cookies were a homemaker's ace-in-the-hole for unexpected guests! Kept chilled, they could be baked at a moment's notice. These days, we can freeze the dough and keep it fresh even longer. 

All of the Imperial Sugar vintage cookbooks are available for download on the Imperial Sugar website here: https://imperialsugar.com/vintage-cookbooks/ Such a motherload of vintage recipes! 

Vintage Pecan Icebox Cookies

It is essential that you roll, wrap and chill this dough for at least three hours before slicing to bake the cookies, because they will spread out. The dough can be frozen, well-wrapped, for a couple of months. This makes about 3-4 dozen 2-inch cookies, depending on your slicing. 

Ingredients

½ cup or 60g chopped pecans 

½ cup or 113g unsalted butter, at room temperature 

¾ cup, tightly packed, or 150g dark brown sugar 

1 large egg 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 ¼ cups or 156g flour 

½ teaspoon fine sea salt 

¼ teaspoon baking soda 

Optional for decoration: pecan halves

For wrapping the dough:

Baking parchment or waxed paper

Method

Place the chopped pecans in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. 

Add the butter and brown sugar and pulse to combine. 

Add the egg and vanilla and pulse until combined. 

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and baking soda. 

Turn the flour mixture into the food processor and pulse until smooth. 

Tear off a sheet of waxed or parchment paper about 15 inches long. Spoon the dough onto the paper and roll into a log about 15 inches or 38cm long. 

Wrap the dough up and chill for at least three hours or preferably overnight. (You can also store the log in the freezer in a zipper-top bag for up to 3 months.) 

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375ºF or 190°C, with a rack in the middle. 

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it back and forth on the counter until it is about 1½ inches in diameter. Mine was a challenge to roll into a neat round tube. Is my fridge too cold? Who knows! I just wish I had rolled it more round before chilling! You should. 

Slice the dough roll into circles just under 1cm or ½ inch thick.

Arrange them on a silicone- or parchment-lined baking pan, at least 1 inch or 2cm apart.

If desired, press a pecan half into each round. I like to do this because 1. If someone has a nut allergy, it’s an immediate red flag that says: Do NOT eat, and 2. They are prettier with a pecan on top! 

Bake, one pan at a time, until the cookies are golden brown and crispy around the edges, about 8 minutes. 

Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the pans between batches. Alternatively, as mentioned above, it can be frozen, well-wrapped, for a few months. Slice and bake at will! 

Store the cookies for up to a week in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing cookie recipes, just ‘cause we want to. Because who doesn’t want more cookie recipes? Exactly no one. Many thanks to our host, Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories. Check out the links below. 

• Candied Orange Peel Chocolate Chip Cookies from Amy’s Cooking Adventures 
• Cottage Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies from A Good Life
• Eggless Wholewheat Custard Powder Coconut Cookies from Sizzling Tastebuds 
• Fig Newton Swirl Cookies from A Messy Kitchen 
• Frosted Cake Cookies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories 
• Peaches and Cream Rustic Thumbprint Cookies from Faith Hope Luck and Love Despite a Whiskered Accomplice 
• Ragi Nankatai from Sneha’s Recipe 
• Strawberry Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies from A Day in the Life on the Farm 
• Thandai Cookies from Mayuri’s Jikoni 
• Tropical Treat Gluten Free Cookies from Sid’s Sea Palm Cookies
• Vintage Pecan Icebox Cookies from Food Lust People Love 

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Baked Quail Egg XO Sauce Appetizers

These baked quail egg XO sauce appetizers are savory, rich and delicious, super easy to make and they are pretty too! Make two, three or as many as you need! 

When I made homemade XO sauce last year, I was trying to think of creative ways to use it in non-traditional recipes. I just happened to have a couple fresh quail eggs on hand at the time, along with a baguette. This was just one result!

Baked Quail Egg XO Sauce Appetizers

My husband and I each enjoyed one as a small appetizer and, frankly, wished we had more! Next time I make them, I’ll use a muffin pan and make a few. I suggest you do the same. 

Ingredients

For each appetizer:

Butter or olive oil for greasing a ramekin or muffin pan

1 slice baguette

2 tablespoons XO sauce (homemade from this recipe or store bought)

1 raw quail egg

For garnish: chopped chives

Method

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and grease your ramekins or muffin pan with olive oil or butter.

Cut your baguette in thick slices.

Place one slice of baguette in each ramekin or muffin cup. Top with the XO sauce, spread around to cover the baguette. Make an indentation in the middle to help cradle the yolk.

Carefully cut the top off the quail egg shell.

Tip it out onto the XO sauce.

Bake in your preheated oven for 3-6 minutes, checking at 3 minutes and watching closely until the whites are just set and the yolks reach your desired doneness. 

Sprinkle on the chopped chives for garnish. 

We ate these with small spoons to cut the bread base and scoop. So good! 

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 17th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter Q. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the Q recipes below:

• Baked Quail Egg XO Sauce Appetizers from Food Lust People Love
• Cauliflower, Onion, and Pancetta Quiche from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Fresh Corn Quiche from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Fresh Summer Corn & Zucchini Sausage Quiche from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Jalapeño Popper Quesadillas from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Mughlai Paneer Qorma from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Qabuli Biryani from Sneha’s Recipe
• Quatre Quarts from Culinary Cam
• Queen Elizabeth Cake from A Messy Kitchen
• Western Omelette Quiche from Blogghetti

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad 

F. Lamb Feta Mint Patties 

G. Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle 

H. Hazelnut Vodka 

I. Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers - this post!

J. Jägersuppe - Hunter's Soup 

K. Easy Chicken Kapama 

L. Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast 

M. Miso Chocolate Cookies 

N. Duck Egg Narjissiya 

O. Marinated Apéro Olives

P. Bacon and Pork Patties 

Q. Baked Quail Egg XO Sauce Appetizers - this post!

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Marmite Roast New Potatoes with Sausage and Butter Beans

Marmite Roast New Potatoes with Sausage and Butter Beans is a savory delight of a meal. Lots of protein and a big bucket load of delicious flavor. 

Seriously, guys, we love this meal. It’s easily adaptable to whatever you want to roast to set on top of those beans but at the minimum, make the bean and add some Marmite. The Parmesan cheese! The cracked black pepper! The recipe I adapted this from wasn’t called cacio e pepe butter beans for nothing! 

Marmite Roast New Potatoes with Sausage and Butter Beans

If you haven’t tried Marmite before but love salty, savory things, I encourage you to try and find a jar. It’s readily available in the UK, whence it comes, of course, but in the States, I’ve had luck online and in World Market. It’s quite strong on its own but adds so much flavor to savory dishes.

Ingredients

1 cup or 180g dried butter beans 

1 teaspoon baking soda

7 oz or 200g smoked sausage

10 3/4 oz or 305g new potatoes

Olive oil

Fine sea salt for the potatoes, plus extra at the end, if needed

Freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons Marmite

2 tablespoons butter

1 garlic clove, crushed and minced

1 3/4 oz or 50g Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra for serving

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black peppercorns – I use a mortar and pestle

6 good handfuls spinach, about 2 oz or 57g

Method

In a heat proof bowl, pour boiling water over the dried butter beans. Cover the bowl and leave to soak for one hour. 

Pour the water out. Add the beans to a small pot and cover with fresh water. Bring the water to the boil, add the baking soda and turn the heat down to simmer. Simmer for 35-45 minutes or until the beans are soft. 

Set the pot aside and leave the beans to cool in the liquid. Depending on how old your dried butter beans are, these can be cooked and holding their shape or, for newer beans, very soft, almost mushy. I like them either way.

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180ºC. Skin and cut the sausage into rounds. 

Put the potatoes in a roasting dish. Drizzle them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Give it a good stir to coat the dish and the potatoes.

Tuck the sausage rounds in amongst the potatoes. Roast in the preheat oven for about 20-25 minutes. 

Meanwhile, combine the softened butter and Marmite until you have a homogeneous mixture. 

Remove the sausage to a large covered bowl to keep warm and drizzle the potatoes with the Marmite butter. Stir well to coat. 

Roast for a further 10 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. 

Meanwhile, add the minced garlic and half the cracked pepper to the bean pot.

Remove the potatoes from the roasting pan and add them to the sausage bowl so you can deglaze the hot pan by adding a good drizzle of water. 

Scrape all the sticky goodness up and add it into the bean pot. Stir well.

Pop the bean pot back on the stove and reheat. Add in the spinach and stir till the beans are heated through and the spinach has wilted, 5-6 minutes.

Stir in the grated parmesan.

Add the rest of the cracked black pepper. 

Taste and season with a little more salt if necessary. Divide the beans between four bowls, then top each with potatoes and sausage. 

Serve with a little more freshly grated Parmesan, if desired. (Always desired, nay, obligatory, at our house!)

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing potato recipes ahead of National Potato Day on August 19th. How will you celebrate? Many thanks to our host, Camilla of Culinary Cam. Check out the links below.

• Appe Batata Vada by Sneha's Recipe
• Baked Spicy Herby Potato Wedges by Sizzling Tastebuds
• Baked Potato Soup by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Budget-Friendly Potato Soup with Fresh Dill by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Campfire Potatoes by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Copycat Baked Arby's Curly Fries by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Creamy Mashed Potatoes Without Butter or Cream by Culinary Cam
• Jacket Potatoes by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Marmite Roast New Potatoes with Sausage and Butter Beans by Food Lust People Love
• Three-Color Potato Salad with Vegetables by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Warm Potato Salad by A Messy Kitchen

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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with Sausage and Butter Beans!

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