Pecan Recipes | March, 2005

Chocolate Pecan Shortbread

2 sticks unsalted butter
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar; firmly packed
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 recipe Chocolate Glaze

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy; blend in vanilla. Add flour and mix only until blended; dough will be stiff. Stir in pecans and 1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chip pieces.
3. Press dough into a 13-inch-by-9-inch pan. Sprinkle Top with ⅓ cup baking bits; press lightly into dough.
4. Bake in preheated oven 18 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely.
5. Drizzle with chocolate glaze. Cut into bars. Store in tightly covered container.

Chocolate Glaze
1 12-ounce package chocolate chips
1 or 2 tablespoons milk

1. Place semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave proof container; add 1 tablespoon milk. Heat 30 seconds on HIGH; stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth; blend in additional milk, 1 teaspoonful at a time, to reach desired consistency.
2. Pour mixture into a zipper-type plastic sandwich bag; Close bag tightly, removing all air. Snip a tiny piece off one corner of the bag (not more than ⅛-inch). Holding top of bag tightly, drizzle glaze in desired pattern.

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Chocolate Pecan-Fudge Cake

½ cup unsalted butter; at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar; firmly packed
4 large eggs
1 cup chocolate syrup
⅔ cups Bailey’s Irish Cream
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 recipe Chocolate Pecan Glaze1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
3. With electric mixer at medium speed. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. With mixer at medium-low speed, beat in eggs until well blended.
5. Add syrup, Bailey’s, coffee granules, and flour, and beat until well mixed. Fold in chopped pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until center is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from cake pan to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 10 to 12 servings

Chocolate Pecan Glaze
¾ cups semisweet chocolate chips
16 Pecan Valley Pecan Halves
¼ cup sour cream; at room temperature
1 tablespoon Bailey’s Irish Cream1. Melt the chocolate in a small heavy saucepan over very low heat. Dip one end of each whole pecan into melted chocolate. Place on waxed paper and refrigerate until chocolate has hardened.
2. To remaining melted chocolate, stir in Bailey’s until well blended, 1 tablespoon at a time. Place cooled cake on a serving plate. Spread glaze over top of cake. Decorate cake with whole pecans. Cut into wedges to serve.

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Clifton Mill’s Chocolate Pecan Pie

1 9-inch pie shell; unbaked
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
¼ cup unsalted butter; melted
3 eggs
¾ cups granulated sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
½ tablespoon vanilla
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Melt butter and chocolate together in microwave.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and pecans. Add melted butter and chocolate. Pour into pie shell.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for approximately 50 minutes until pie starts to firm up.

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Cream Cheese Pecan Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese; softened
½ cup unsalted butter or margarine; softened
1 lb powdered granulated sugar; sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces1. Combine cream cheese and butter, beating until smooth.
2. Add powdered granulated sugar and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy. Stir in pecans.

Yield: about 3 cups

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Dark Chocolate Pecan Torte

4 squares (4 ounces) unsweetened chocolate; broken into pieces
⅓ cup unsalted butter or margarine
1½ cups granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs; separated
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons water
¾ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; finely chopped
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
1 recipe Chocolate Glaze

1. In a small microwave safe bowl, place the chocolate and butter. Microwave on HIGH (100 %) power 1 Minute or until smooth when stirred; cool slightly.
2. Line the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan with foil; butter the foil and sides of the pan.
3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
4. In a large mixer bowl, combine the chocolate mixture, sugar, and vanilla and beat well. Add the egg yolks, beating well after each addition. Blend in the flour and water, and beat well. Stir in the pecans.
5. Clean the mixer beaters very well and in a small bowl beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until stiff peaks form; carefully fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the top appears dry. (The torte will NOT test done in the center).
7. Cool 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate until firm. Remove the side of the pan. Invert onto a serving plate and carefully remove the bottom of the pan and the foil. Pour the Chocolate Glaze over the torte spreading evenly on the top and sides.Yield: 10 to 12 Servings

Chocolate Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons water
1 square (1 ounce) unsweetened chocolate
Hot water1. In a small mixer bowl, combine the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and set aside.
2. In a small microwave safe bowl, place the butter, water, and chocolate. Microwave on HIGH (100 %) power 1 minute or until smooth when stirred. Add to the sugar mixture, beating until smooth. Add hot water, ½ teaspoon at a time, if needed until the desired consistency is reached.

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Date Pecan Bars

¾ cups unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar; firmly packed
1¾ cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1½ cups rolled oats
1 recipe Date Pecan Filling

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and brown sugar. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and oats and stir into butter mixture until well blended.
3. Press half of the crust into a 9-inch-by-13-inch glass baking dish patting lightly. Spread with cooled filling. Cover with remaining crust mixture, patting lightly.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until lightly browned. Cool and cut into bars.

Yield: 24 date pecan bars

Date Pecan Filling
3 cups dates; coarsely chopped
¼ cup granulated sugar
1½ cups water
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; finely chopped

1. Mix together dates, sugar and water in saucepan and cook heat for about 10 minutes over low, stirring constantly, until thickened.Allow to cool. Add pecans

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East Texas Pecan Pie Bars

3 cups flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
½ teaspoon sea salt
4 eggs
1½ cups light corn syrup
1½ cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter; melted
1½ teaspoons vanilla
2½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat flour, 1 cup butter, ½ cup sugar and salt until mixture resembles crumbs.
3. Heavily grease bottom and sides of 15-inch-by-10-inch baking pan at least 1½ inches deep. Press mixture firmly into pan.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes.
5. In another bowl blend eggs, corn syrup, 1½ cups sugar, 3 tablespoons butter and vanilla. Stir in chopped pecans. Spread over hot crust.
6. Continue baking for 25 minutes or until set. Cool, cut into bars.

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East Texas Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

2 tablespoons unsalted butter,
1 cup sweet potato; cooked and mashed
2 egg; slightly beaten
¾ cups brown sugar; firmly packed
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 pint whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup dark corn syrup
1 cup evaporated milk
1½ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
¼ cup praline liqueur or Pecan Valley Pecan Halves; soaked in Frangelica

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In a large bowl, stir butter into sweet potatoes. Add all remaining in ingredients sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, salt, corn syrup, and evaporated milk; blend well.
3. To assemble pie: pour sweet-potato filling into prepared pie crust; sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over top.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes until filling is set and a knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a rack to room temperature before slicing.
5. Meanwhile prepare topping. In a large mixing bowl combine cream, powdered sugar and liqueur. Beat with an electric mixer until large, soft peaks form. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
6. To serve, top pie with topping. Top with pecan halves.

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Figgy Espresso Cake

1 pound dried figs, stems removed
1¾ cups water
1 2-layer-size spice cake mix
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
½ cup brewed espresso or strong coffee
Sifted powdered sugar
1 recipe Honey Hard Sauce
1 recipe Honey Fruit Compote1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Generously grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan.
2. In a medium saucepan combine figs and water. Bring to boil; remove from heat and let stand, covered 10 minutes.
3. In a food processor (or half at a time in a blender) process until the figs are chopped.
4. Prepare cake mix according to package directions, substituting the fig mixture for the water. Stir in pecans. Pour into the prepared pan.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes
6. Remove cake from pan; set on wire rack placed over a shallow baking pan. Poke holes all over cake with a long-tined fork. Slowly spoon brewed espresso over cake. Cool to room temperature. Wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature up to 1 week. Before serving, sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar. Use a serrated knife to slice. Serve with Honey Hard Sauce and Honey Fruit Compute.

Makes 16 servings

Honey Hard Sauce
1 cup butter; softened
¼ cup honeyIn a mixing bowl beat butter and honey. Cover and chill.

Honey Fruit Compote
3½ cups water
½ cup sugar
2 3-inch sticks cinnamon
4 lady apples, halved if desired, or 2 medium cooking apples, cut crosswise and quartered (10 to 12 ounces total)
4 Seckel pears, halved if desired, or 2 medium pears, cut crosswise and quartered (11 ounces total)
2 cups dried apricot halves
½ cup dried cherries or dried cranberries
½ cup brandy
⅓ cup honey
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel1. In a large skillet combine water, sugar and cinnamon. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add apples, return to boiling. Cook, uncovered, 3 minutes. Add the pears and cook 4 to 5 minutes more or until pears are just tender. Drain, reserving liquid and stick cinnamon.
2. In two clean 2-quart jars divide apples, pears, apricots and cherries. Combined reserved liquid, brandy, honey and lemon peel; pour over fruit in jars. Add 1 reserved stick cinnamon to each jar. Cover and chill in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks, turning jars occasionally.
Makes 2 quart jars (16 servings)

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Fudge Cake with Pecans

1 cup unsalted butter; room temperature
4 eggs
8 squares (8 ounces) bitter chocolate; melted
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; chopped fine
4 cups granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 recipe Pecan Fudge Frosting1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Grease three 9-inch layer cake pans.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter, gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the beaten eggs and melted chocolate. Stir the dry ingredients and blend in alternately with the milk. Add the nuts and vanilla. Pour into prepared pans.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until the center of the cake feels solid.
5. Cool and remove the layers from the pan.
6. Spread frosting between the layers, and cover the top and sides of the cake

Yield: 12 servings

Pecan Fudge Frosting
½ pound unsalted butter
4 squares (4 ounces) bitter chocolate
1½ pounds powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces1. Melt the butter and chocolate together. Blend in the powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon juice. Beat well to spreading consistency. Add the pecans.

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