Pecan Recipes | September, 2005

Apple Pecan Bars

  • 3 cups apples; finely chopped
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 package date-nut quick bread mix
  • 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
  • ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
  • Cream Cheese Frosting
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  2. In large bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Pour into a greased and floured 15-inch-by-10 jelly roll pan.
  3. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden. Cool.
  4. Spread with Cream Cheese Frosting. Cut into bars. Garnish as desired. Store in refrigerator.
Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 6 ounces cream cheese; softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup unsalted butter; softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  1. In small mixer bowl, beat cream cheese, margarine and vanilla until fluffy.
  2. Add powdered sugar; mix well. Spread bars with frosting.
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Apple Pecan Cake with Apple Cider Glaze

1½ cups vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; sifted
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup whole-wheat flour; sifted
4 cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1¼ cups coarse chunks of peeled and cored apples
3 tablespoons Applejack Apple Cider Glaze

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. In a large bowl, beat vegetable oil and sugar until thick and opaque. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Sift together flour, cloves, cinnamon, mace, baking soda and salt, and then stir in whole-wheat flour. Add to oil and egg mixture and mix until well blended.
4. Add pecans, apple chunks and applejack all at once and stir batter until pieces are evenly distributed. Pour batter into a greased 10-inch round cake pan.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Applejack Apple Cider Glaze
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar; firmly packed
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons applejack or apple brandy
4 tablespoons sweet cider
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons heavy cream1. Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in both sugars.
2. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and cook for 4 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Pour while still warm over warm cake.

Makes 1½ cups glaze

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Apple Pecan Pie

2½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups apples, thinly sliced
½ cup brown sugar; firmly packed
¼ cup dark molasses
3 tablespoons brandy
3 eggs
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ cups mild Cheddar cheese; grated
Whipped Cream or Ice Cream

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Sift four and baking powder together. Make a well in center and in it put the sugar, vanilla and eggs. Mix in some of the flour from the sides to form a paste. Cut the butter into small pieces and put around the top of the paste. Cover with the rest of the flour and knead all ingredients until the dough is smooth. Divide the dough into two balls and refrigerate, covered until dough is cool and firm enough to handle. Roll out as usual and line the bottom of a 10-inch pie plate.
3. In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the molasses, corn syrup, brandy and lemon juice. Add the apples and pecans and mix thoroughly. Set aside.
4. Sprinkle grated cheese over bottom of a pastry lined 10-inch pie plate. Pour pie mixture over grated cheese. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
5. Top pie with a lattice crust and bake about 35 to 45 minutes at 350º until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
6. Serve warm, topped with vanilla Ice Cream or Whipped Cream.

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Apricot Pecan Crescents

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 dash sea salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sour cream
1 egg; slightly beaten
6 tablespoons apricot preserves
6 tablespoons Pecan Valley Pecan Meal
Powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl mix flour, salt, and sugar. With a pastry blender, cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in sour cream and egg. Knead lightly until mixture holds together. Wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
3. Divide dough into thirds. On a lightly floured pastry cloth, roll each third into a circle 11-inch in diameter.
4. Spread each circle evenly with 2 tablespoons of apricot preserves and 2 tablespoons ground pecans.
5. Cut each circle into 12 pie-shaped wedges. Roll up each wedge, starting at the wide end. Place seam-side down about 2 inch apart on greased cookie sheets.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Place on wire rack.
7. Dust with powdered sugar when completely cool.

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Banana Pecan Snack Cake

1 package Snack Cake Mix
1 egg
⅓ cup vegetable oil
½ cup ripe banana; mashed
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.
4. Stir into Snack Cake Mix until blended.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack.

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Black Pepper and Pecan Biscotti

⅓ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Oil or walnut oil
3½ cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1½ cups dark brown sugar; firmly packed
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1½ teaspoons black pepper; coarse ground
1½ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; toasted

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Butter and flour 2 baking sheets.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs and oil together, add the sugar, nutmeg and pepper and then beat until the ingredients are well combined.
3. In another bowl combine the flour and baking soda, and slowly add the dry ingredients to the egg-sugar mixture.
4. Add the pecans to the dough, which will be fairly stiff, but sticky.
5. Divide the dough into four equal parts. On a floured board, or work surface, form each piece into a rope about 12 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide. Place the ropes on the baking sheet. Flatten the top of each loaf slightly with your fingertips.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on racks for 10 minutes.
7. Slice each loaf into slices about ½-inch thick. Place the slices on the baking sheets, cut-side down, and return to the oven for about 20 minutes.
8. Turn the biscotti after 10 minutes.
9. Cool on racks and store in air-tight tins or jars.

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Buckeye Pecan Butternut Pie

1 10-inch pie shell; unbaked
1 large butternut squash
½ cup dark brown sugar; firmly packed
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 eggs
¼ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg
3 eggs
½ cup brown sugar; firmly packed
1 cup light corn syrup
5 tablespoons unsalted butter; melted
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; toasted
Whipped Cream

1. Bake squash at 350ºF until soft. Peel, seed, puree, and measure out 1½ cups. Set aside
2. In a large mixing bowl whisk butternut squash, brown sugar, maple syrup, eggs, cream, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg together until the sugar dissolves. Pour butternut mixture into an unbaked, 10-inch pie shell that has been brushed with egg white.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile make the second part of the filling. bowl whisk all the part two ingredients eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, and salt together. Set aside.
5. When the butternut filling is set, sprinkle evenly with pecan pieces. Gently pour the second filling over the nuts.
6. Return pie to the oven, and bake at 325ºF for 40 to 45 minutes, or until just set. Cool to room temperature and serve with lightly sweetened Whipped Cream.

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Caramel Apple Pecan Bars

1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
½ cup brown sugar; firmly packed
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
20 caramels; unwrapped
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 21-ounce can apple pie filling

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In large bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, baking soda and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Reserving 1½ cups crumb mixture, press remainder into 13-inch-by-9-inch baking pan.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes.
4. Add pecans to crumb mixture.
5. In heavy saucepan, melt caramels with sweetened condensed milk, stirring until smooth. Spoon apple filling over crust; top with caramel mixture, then crumb mixture.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or until set. Cool; serve warm.

Serves 10 to 12

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Cheesecake Pecan Pie

1 9-inch pie shell; unbaked
8 ounces cream cheese; softened
1 egg
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Halves
2 eggs; slightly beaten
¼ cup granulated sugar
⅔ cups light corn syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine cream cheese, egg, ⅓ cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Spread over bottom of pie shell.
3. Arrange pecans on the cream cheese mixture. Mix remaining eggs, sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla, stirring well. Carefully pour over the pecans.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until done.

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Chocolate Pecan Filled Cake

2 cups cake flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
3 tablespoons granulated fructose or other sugar replacement
1 tablespoon baking powder
1¼ cups milk
¼ cup unsalted butter; softened
2 eggs
½ cup cake flour
⅓ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; very finely chopped
⅓ cup milk
1 teaspoon granulated fructose or other sugar replacement
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 recipe Cream Cheese Glaze (optional)1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 3 quart size tube pan.
2. Combine flour, cocoa, 3 tablespoons granulated fructose and baking powder and sift into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add 1¼ cups milk, butter and eggs and beat until smooth and creamy. Pour into prepared pan. Set aside.
4. In another bowl combine flour, pecans, ⅓ cup milk, 1 teaspoon granulated fructose, baking powder and vanilla extract with a fork until well blended.
5. Spoon in a ring over center of chocolate layer being careful not to touch sides of pan with filling mixture.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 35 minute or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Cool in pan for 20 to 25 minutes, invert onto plate or rack and let cool completely. Frost with Cream-Cheese Glaze if desired.

Makes 24 servings

Cream-Cheese Glaze
8 ounces cream cheese; softened
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1½ cups powdered sugar1. In medium bowl, combine cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon peel and powdered sugar.
2. With portable electric mixer at high speed, beat mixture until smooth. Set aside.

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