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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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In a small bowl, combine the pecans and flour.
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In a small saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, and corn syrup.
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Bring to a boil.
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Remove from heat and stir the dry ingredients into a pan.
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Transfer the batter to a bowl and stir occasionally until it thickens into a dough and is cool enough to handle, about 25 minutes.
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With moistened hands, roll the dough into various size balls, depending on whether you're making cookies, cups or coronets (see below).
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Place on ungreased baking sheets, 3 to 7 inches apart, depending on size-they spread quite a bit.
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Bake about 12 minutes, or until the active bubbling subsides.
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Place the baking sheet on rack and let cool until the cookies are firm enough to lift with a flexible metal spatula but are still malleable, 3 to 5 minutes.
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Working quickly, mold each into shape and set on a wire rack to cool completely.
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If the cookies get too cool and brittle to mold, put the try back in the oven for a minute to soften.
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To make 9 dessert bowls: With moistened hands, mold each ball using a rounded tablespoon of dough.
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Place only 2 balls on the ungreased baking sheet.
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Have 2 small soup bowls measuring 4 1/2 to 5-inches across the top ready by the oven.
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Follow the baking instruction above.
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When set but still malleable, lift the cookies, one at a time, and place each in a bowl, nutty, bumpy side up.
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Gently press the bottom to flatten.
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The sides will ruffle prettily.
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Wipe the excess butter off the baking sheet and continue with the remaining dough.
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If you have more than 1 baking sheet, stagger the baking so that you can mold 1 tray while the other is in the oven.
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Fill with butterscotch ice cream, pumpkin mousse, bananas and cream, or anything that strikes your fancy and goes well with pecans.
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To make 9 ice cream cones: Follow the baking instructions above for dessert bowls, but when you lift a cookie off the baking sheet, roll it into a cone with the nutty, bumpy side facing out, and hold it for a few seconds to set.
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Lay it on the cooling rack, seam side down, and place a cylindrical object, such as a pill bottle, in the opening to set until you roll the next cookie.
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Fill with scoops of any flavor ice cream or sorbet that complements pecans.
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To make 18 coronets: With moistened hands, mold rounded teaspoons of the dough into balls.
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Place about 9 balls on an ungreased baking sheet.
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Follow the baking instructions for ice-cream cones; you're making a smaller version of the same.
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Repeat with a second tray.
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Fill with mousse, ice cream, or berries and cream.
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Place a little dab of cream on the plate to anchor the coronets, and place 1 or 2 coronets on each plate with fruit sauce or hot fudge spilling out of the opening.
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To make 24 cookies: With moistened hands, mold level teaspoons of dough into balls.
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Place about 12 balls on an ungreased baking sheet.
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Follow the instructions above.
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When the cookies are set but still flexible, transfer to a cooling rack.
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Repeat with a second tray.
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To make 24 cigarettes: Follow the baking instructions for cookies, but when you lift a cookie off the baking sheet, roll it around a chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon.
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Lay it on the cooling rack, seam side down.
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If the cookies get too brittle to mold, put the baking sheet back in the oven for a minute to soften them.
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To dip the ends in melted chocolate, immerse 1 end of a cookie, then the other, shake off the excess chocolate, and dip the end into a small bowl of grated chocolate.
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Lay it on a sheet pan lined with parchment or waxed paper.
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When all the cookies are dipped, place the tray in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes, just until the chocolate sets.
