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Okay. The headline is an exaggeration. The revealed secrets are that I did actually bake the things I talked about recently, and I have photos to prove it (as much as a photo can prove anything anymore.) Forthwith, here is the evidence, and a few tips if you plan to make any of these.

First, the Candied Pecans. Here is the final result, close up. You can see the crust of cinnamon and sugar. What you can’t see is the delightful flavor and texture of the now-toasted pecans inside.

Here are the pecans in the pan:

Click for a bigger pic if you want. You just spread the nuts out and bake slowly. I love these things.

Next up, the “before” picture of the Russian Tea Cakes. That is, before they’re rolled in powdered sugar:

Helpful hint. Let them cool before rolling in powder sugar the second time. See previous post for the final result.

And last but not least, the humble Chocolate Crinkle Cookie:

Chocolate on the inside, powdered sugar on the outside. The secret with them—and lots of other cookies, actually—is not to bake them too long. I forgot to set the timer on one batch. The result: they look great and taste good, but they’re crunchy. I like mine softer.

Oh, and I have a helpful hint for the Chocolate Crinkles, discovered just this past weekend. For years, I’ve scooped bits of dough, rolled them into balls and then rolled the balls in powdered sugar. This time, I dropped the dough bits into the powdered sugar first, coated them with the sugar using a couple of teaspoons and then rolled the dough bits in my hands into balls. The result: Much less-sticky hands.

By the way, the links to these two recipes are as close to identical as mine as they could be. The only significant difference is that my version of the Chocolate Crinkle Cookies provides for the optional inclusion of 1/2 cup chopped nuts. I included them. Now, if I get around to the Nutmeg Logs, I’ll show you them, too.