Pecan Recipes | July, 2005

Apple Pecan Triangles

2 Rome Beauty apples peel-finely chopped
½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; light toasted
Grated peel of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
5 phyllo sheets; frozen; thawed
½ cup unsalted butter; melted
Powdered sugar; sifted (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine apples, nuts, lemon peel, sugar and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Mix well to blend flavors; set aside.
3. Unroll phyllo dough sheets. Cut dough lengthwise into 2-inch wide strips. Place on waxed paper over damp towels. Cover all dough strips except 2 of them. Brush the 2 strips with the melted butter.
4. Place about 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of each strip, about 1-inch from the top edge. Fold one corner of each strip over filling. Fold over again like a flag, until entire strip is folded. Place on buttered 10-inch-by-15-inch pan with sides.
5. Repeat with remaining filling and phyllo strips. Brush folded pastries, top and bottom, with melted butter.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire rack.
7. Sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar if desired.

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Applesauce Pecan Cake

1 package butter recipe golden cake mix
½ cup unsalted butter; softened
1⅓ cups applesauce
3 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2½ ounces Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 recipe Mocha Frosting1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease and flour 2, 9-inch-by-1½-inch round cake pans.
2. Put dry cake mix, butter, applesauce, eggs and cinnamon into large mixer bowl. Beat for 4 minutes at medium speed.
3. Stir in pecans. Turn batter into pans and spread evenly.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Frost with Mocha Frosting.

Mocha Frosting
4 large egg whites
¾ cups sugar
2 tablespoons water
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ pounds unsalted butter (3 sticks)
1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals
1½ teaspoons water
2 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate squares1. Whisk egg whites, sugar, 2 tablespoons water and cream of tartar in a large, stainless steel bowl.
2. Set the bowl in a large skillet filled with 1 inch of simmering water. The depth of the water should be as high as the depth of the egg whites in the bowl.
3. Beat the egg whites at low speed until the mixture registers 140ºF on an instant-read thermometer. Do not stop beating at any time while the bowl is in the simmering water.
4. Beat the mixture at high speed until it just reaches 160ºF, about 2 to 4 minutes.
5. Remove the bowl from the skillet.
6. Add vanilla and beat at high speed for 3 to 5 more minutes to cool the mixture.
7. Using another bowl beat the butter until creamy.
8. Take a large scoop of the egg white mixture and beat it into the butter until it is well combined. Continue to beat in about half of the egg white mixture in large scoops.
9. Scrape the remaining egg whites into the mixture and beat until fluffy. Set aside.
10. Melt semisweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler over boiling water. Let cool to lukewarm. While the chocolate cools, dissolve instant coffee in 1½ teaspoons water and stir into frosting mixture.
11. Stir cooled chocolate into frosting with a rubber spatula. Use frosting immediately.

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Banana-Fudge Pecan Brownies

½ stick unsalted butter
1 6-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon baking powder
⅓ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅓ cup mashed ripe banana
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottom only of 8-inch square pan.
2. Melt butter and chocolate chips in 2-quart saucepan, over low heat, stirring constantly; beat in thoroughly with spoon flour, vanilla, sugar, baking powder, pecans, salt, mashed banana and egg spread batter evenly in pan.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until center is set.
4. Cut into 2-inch squares.

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Banana-Pecan Snack Cake

1 package Snack Cake Mix
1 egg
⅓ cup vegetable oil
½ cup mashed; ripe banana
½ cup buttermilk; milk; or water
½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Pour Snack Cake Mix into an ungreased 8- or 9-inch square baking pan.
3. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients, beating with a fork to blend. Stir into snack cake mix until blended.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a rack.
5. Place a paper doily on the hot cake, dust with powdered sugar and then remove the doily.

Makes 9 servings

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Betty Carter’s Double Pecan Pie

2 8-inch pie shells; unbaked
3 eggs
⅔ cups granulated sugar
¾ cups dark syrup
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat eggs until blended, add sugar, syrup, salt, and beat thoroughly. Stir in butter.
3. Put 1 cup of pecans in each pie shell. Pour liquid mixture equally over each.
4. Place pies on a cookie sheet on middle rack of oven, bake for 10 minutes.
5. Lower oven temperature to 300ºF.
6. Continue to bake about 30 minutes until filling is firm.

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Buttermilk Pecan Hermits

1 cup shortening or unsalted butter
2 cups brown sugar; firmly packed
2 eggs
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
2 cups raisins
1 cup chopped dates
Pecan Valley Pecan Halves

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a large bowl, blend together shortening or butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs.
3. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add spices.
4. Stir in buttermilk, and then add pecans, raisins and dates. Stir well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Top each cookie with a whole pecan.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

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Caramel Chocolate Pecan Pie

1 9-inch pie shell; unbaked
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 6-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate pieces
½ cup caramel ice cream topping
1 8-ounce package cream cheese; softened
1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
Unsweetened cocoa powder; optional

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Sprinkle pecans evenly in unbaked pastry shell; sprinkle with chocolate pieces and drizzle with caramel topping. Set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl combine cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, beating on low speed just until combined. Pour over caramel topping in crust.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until center appears set. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Sift cocoa powder over pie, if desired.

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Chocolate Pecan Squares

1½ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
½ cup bleached all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 pinch sea salt
1 tablespoon dark rum
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup dark corn syrup
3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate; finely chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. and set a rack at the middle level.
2. Butter an 8-inch square pan, and line the bottom with a square of parchment or waxed paper.
3. Combine the pecans and flour and set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with salt and rum.
5. In a saucepan, stir the sugar and corn syrup well to mix. Place over low heat and bring to a boil.
6. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and butter. Allow to stand for 3 or 4 minutes, and then whisk smooth.
7. Whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Stir in the pecans and flour. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
8. Bake in a preheated oven for about 35 minutes, until set and firm.
9. Cool in the pan on a rack. Un-mold and cut into 2-inch squares.

Yield: sixteen 2-inch squares

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Chocolate Pecan Tart

1¼ cups chocolate wafer crumbs
⅓ cup unsalted butter; melted
½ cup unsalted butter; softened
¾ cups brown sugar; firmly packed
3 eggs
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons instant coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
Whipped Cream; sweetened
Chocolate syrup
Maraschino cherries with stems
Mint sprigs

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine chocolate wafer crumbs and ⅓ cup melted butter; firmly press on bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Cream ½ cup softened butter; gradually add brown sugar with the electric mixer at medium speed until blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the melted chocolate, instant coffee granules, vanilla extract, flour and chopped pecans. Pour into the prepared crust.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack.
6. Before serving, pipe sweetened Whipped Cream on each piece and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Garnish with cherries and/or mint if desired.

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Coconut Pecan Crumb Cake

2 tablespoons water
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup milk
⅓ cup unsalted butter
1 egg
Coconut Streusel1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour 2 8- or 9 inch round cake pans.
2. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off, in large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, margarine and egg. Mix at low speed until moistened. Beat 2 more minutes at medium speed.
3. Spread ¾ cups batter into each cake pan. Sprinkle ¼ of coconut streusel over batter in each pan. Carefully spread remaining batter on top of coconut streusel mixture in pan. Then, spread remaining coconut strudel on top of batter in pan.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool slightly.
5. In small bowl, combine powdered sugar and enough water for desired drizzling consistency; blend until smooth. Drizzle over warm cakes.

Coconut Streusel
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
⅓ cup brown sugar; firmly packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cups powdered sugar
¾ cups coconut
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chipsIn small bowl mix nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, coconut, chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Set aside.

Note: Cake can be baked in 13-inch-by-9 inch pan 25 to 30 minutes or until done.

Makes 2 cakes 6 to 8 servings each

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