A little known food holiday just slipped by us. Let me be the first to wish you a belated Happy National Sense of Smell Day. (Who knew?)

I’m not certain how most people celebrate this holiday, but if I were told to honor the workings of my beezer I would probably get out in the kitchen and rattle some pots and pans and make something that would fill my house with a wonderful smell. Isn't it amazing how you can be walking down the street minding your own business and then suddenly you are transported back to a different place in another time by a simple fragrance? I am immediately brought back to happy childhood memories by the smell of gingerbread. 

There was a wonderful bakery in Portsmouth, NH right down the street from Miss Smith's Dance Studio.  If I had done well in dance class, Mom would give me a nickel and we would stop by the bakery for a treat. I would choose a gingerbread boy, complete with raisin eyes and raisin buttons on his tummy. My choice of a treat never changed and that first bite of the sometimes still warm leg of that gingerbread boy (the head was the best so saved for last) made all those hours of practice worth the effort.

In doing a bit of reading about how we react to smells, I came across a rather interesting note about chocolate. It seems that there may be some people who have a circuit or two crossed in their brains. When they smell the aroma of chocolate, it triggers an electrical stimulation of the brain so violent that a seizure may result. (If you have this malady, you probably should just skip the recipe below.)

Chocolate Pecan Cookies
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup Dutch processed cocoa
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼  teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon espresso powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening
½ cup packed light brown sugar, sifted
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

Beat butter and shortening on medium speed using paddle attachment of a stand mixer. When mixture is creamy add brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat until well combined. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and mix in flour mixture just until incorporated and then mix in pecans.

Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of batter onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1½ inches apart. Bake 10 -12 minutes or until cookies puff up and then settle slightly. Place baking sheet on wire rack and let cookies cool for 3 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yields 4 dozen cookies.

Paula Anderson is a contributing writer to Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine, as well as a columnist for 3 Maine Newspapers with a focus on food, nutrition, and entertaining.