Pecan Recipes | October, 2005

Carrot Pecan Cake

3 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 pounds carrots
1 cup unsalted butter; softened
1 cup light brown sugar; firmly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
1 cup seedless raisins
Cream Cheese Glaze
½ cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces

1. Lightly grease and flour a 10-by-4-inch tube pan.
2. Sift flour with baking powder, soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
3. Wash and pare carrots; grate on medium grater or use coarse blade of food processor. Should measure 4 cups.
4. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
5. In large bowl of mixer, at high speed, beat butter and brown and granulated sugars, occasionally scraping side of bowl with rubber scraper, until light and fluffy—about 4 minutes.
6. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition until smooth and light.
7. In a small mixing bowl, combine lemon and orange peels and juices.
8. At low speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths), alternately with lemon-orange mixture (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until smooth—about 1 minute.
9. With wooden spoon, stir in grated carrot, nuts and raisins; mix well. Turn into the prepared tube pan; spread evenly.
10. Bake in a preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
11. Cool in pan on wire rack 20 minutes, to cool slightly.
12. Meanwhile, make Cream-Cheese Glaze.
13. After cake has cooled, gently loosen edge of cake with spatula.
14. Turn out of pan onto rack. Spread glaze over top of the warm cake, letting it run down side of cake. Carefully remove cake to cake platter. Sprinkle chopped pecans around top edge of cake

Serves 12

Cream-Cheese Glaze
8 ounces cream cheese; softened
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1½ cups powdered sugar

1. 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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Cinnamon Pecan Biscotti

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; divided
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 3 eggs; divided
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 1½ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; toasted
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon water
  1. Preheat oven to 300ºF. Grease and flour baking sheet.
  2. Using an electric mixer with a dough hook attachment, combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking soda and powder, and salt in a large bowl until blended.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, vanilla and orange zest. Add egg mix to flour mix; continue beating until a soft dough forms.
  4. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Add pecans and knead 3 minutes or until pecans are evenly distributed.
  5. Divide dough in half. On baking sheet, shape each piece of dough into a 2½-inch-by-10-inch loaf, flouring hands as necessary. Allow 3 inches between loaves on a baking sheet.
  6. In a small bowl, combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon.
  7. In another small bowl, beat remaining egg and water. Brush loaves with egg mixture; sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mix.
  8. Bake in a preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until loaves are lightly browned.
  9. Cool 10 minutes on baking sheet. Cut loaves diagonally into ½ inch slices. Lay cut cookies flat on a baking sheet.
  10. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes, turn cookies over, and bake 15 minutes longer.
  11. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 2½ dozen biscotti

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Classic Chocolate Pecan Pie

1 9-inch pie shell; unbaked
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter; melted
1 cup light corn syrup
3 eggs; slightly beaten
2 tablespoons bourbon
½ cup chocolate pieces
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
Whipped cream

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl mix sugar, melted butter, corn syrup, beaten eggs, bourbon, chocolate pieces and pecans ingredients together and pour in unbaked pie shell.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Serve with whipped cream.

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Double Chocolate Pecan Biscotti

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter; softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
  • ¾ cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  2. Butter and flour a large baking sheet.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until combined well. Stir in flour mixture to form a stiff dough. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips.
  4. On prepared baking sheet with floured hands, form dough into two slightly flattened logs, each 12-inches long and 2-inches wide, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
  5. Bake logs in a preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until slightly firm to the touch.
  6. Cool biscotti on baking sheet 5 minutes. On a cutting board, cut biscotti diagonally into ¾-inch slices.
    7. Arrange biscotti, cut sides down, on baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes.
    8. Cool biscotti on a rack. Biscotti keep in air-tight containers 1 week and, frozen, 1 month.
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East Texas Chocolate Pecan Pie

1 9-inch pie shell; unbaked
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch
2 eggs; lightly beaten
½ cup unsalted butter or oleo; melted
3 tablespoons bourbon or 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 6-ounce package chocolate chips
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces; finely chopped
1 recipe Whipped Cream

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine sugar and cornstarch; beat in eggs; mix in butter, bourbon, chocolate chips and pecans. Pour into pie shell.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. Cool completely.
4. Serve with Whipped Cream

Whipped Cream
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon bourbon or ½ teaspoon vanilla and

1. In a small bowl beat cream with powdered sugar to soft peaks.
2. Add teaspoon bourbon vanilla and beat to stiff peaks

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Elegant Tennessee Pecan Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
7 large eggs
¼ tablespoons cream of tartar
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup light molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pecan Valley Pecan Halves
Cream Frosting1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Separate eggs and save one egg white for the frosting.
3. Sift flour with salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice (substitute mace for allspice if preferred).
4. Beat 6 egg whites with cream of tartar at high speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add corn syrup; continue beating until stiff peaks form. Do not under beat.
5. Beat 7 egg yolks with molasses and vanilla at high speed until thick.
6. Blend in dry ingredients. Fold this mixture into egg whites, using a rubber spatula to fold in gently but completely.
7. Pour into ungreased 10-inch tube pan.
8. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
9. Invert pan immediately and cool completely before removing from the pan.
10. Frost with cream frosting and decorate with pecan halves*.

Note: Frost cake as is or cut into 3 layers (using string or dental floss) if preferred and frost each layer as you stack.

Cream Frosting
1 egg white
1 cup heavy cream
¾ cups powdered sugar; sifted
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sea salt1. In a large mixing bowl beat egg white until stiff.
2. In another bowl beat cream until thick. Add powdered sugar, cinnamon and salt to the cream. Fold gently into the egg white along with pecans.

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Frosted Pumpkin-Pecan Cookies

  • ½ cup unsalted butter; softened
  • 1½ cups brown sugar; firmly packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin; cooked; mashed
  • ½ teaspoon lemon extract
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
  • Maple Frosting
  1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, gradually add brown sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer.
  3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in pumpkin and flavorings.
  4. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Stir in pecans. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets.
  5. Bake in a preheated oven for 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
  6. Frost with maple frosting.
Maple Frosting

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter; softened
  • 2¼ cups powdered sugar; sifted
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • ¾ teaspoons maple extract
  1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer.
  2. Add remaining sugar alternately with milk, beating until smooth enough to spread. Add maple extract and beat well
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Frozen Maple Pecan Mousse Pie

1 Chocolate Crumb Pie Shell
3 eggs; separated
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cups maple syrup
2 cups Kool Whip
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate; shaved

1. In a large mixing bowl beat egg yolks until lemon colored. Add salt and maple syrup. Cook in top of double boiler until yolk mixture thickens. Cool.
2. In another bowl beat egg whites until stiff.
3. Combine maple mixture, egg whites and twp-thirds of the Kool Whip, using a folding motion.
4. Fold in ¾ cups of the nut meats. Scrape into baked Chocolate Crumb Pie shell.
5. Cover with remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle with remaining nut meats and chocolate shavings.
6. Freeze for a minimum of four hours.

Chocolate Crumb Pie Shell
1½ cups chocolate cookie crumbs
¼ cup unsalted butter; softened
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl mix ingredients until thoroughly blended.
3. Press into a 9-inch pie pan.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 8 minutes. Cool.

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Honey Pecan Pie

1 9-inch pie shell; unbaked
½ cup honey
½ cup brown sugar; firmly packed
¼ cup unsalted butter
3 eggs; beaten
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF.
2. Bend honey and sugar together in a medium sauce pan. Cook slowly to form a smooth syrup. Add butter. Add beaten eggs and pecans. Pour into pie shell.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Reduce oven heat to 350ºF.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

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Lazy Daisy Pecan Cake

½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar; firmly packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs; or 1 whole egg; plus 2 yolks
1¾ cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon allspice
⅔ cups sour milk
¾ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
Lazy Daisy Frosting

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and sugars.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Sift dry ingredients and stir in alternately with sour milk.
5. Blend in nuts. Spread in greased and floured 13-inch-by-9-inch-by-2-inch pan.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Allow cake to cool, then top with lazy daisy frosting.
Lazy Daisy Frosting
6 tablespoons unsalted butter; melted
¼ cup evaporated milk; or cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cups brown sugar; firmly packed
1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan PiecesMix frosting ingredients together and blend well.

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