Pecan Valley Pecans

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In bowl mix flour, salt and sugar. With pastry blender cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Spread mixture evenly in greased 13-inch-by-9-inch-by-2 inch pan, then with hand press firmly into smooth compact layer.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
4. Remove pan to rack while you prepare topping.
5. In a large mixing bowl, combine syrup, butterscotch pieces, salt, butter and water in large heavy saucepan.
6. With rubber spatula stir over low heat, pressing butterscotch until melted and smooth. A few tiny un-melted pieces of butterscotch are all right. Quickly stir in pecans and remove from heat.
7. Working quickly to prevent mixture from hardening, place large spoonfuls on warm baked crust. With back of spoon spread mixture to within ½- to ¾-inch of crust edges During baking, topping will run toward edges.
8. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.
9. Cool in pan 30 to 40 minutes or until only slightly warm.
10. With small sharp knife loosen around edges, and then cut in 16 bars. Bars in center of pan will appear too soft, but they will become firm as they cool; wait to remove them. With wide metal spatula transfer bars to cutting board; cool thoroughly until firm. Cut each bar in half.

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Butter a 13-inch-by-9-inch pan. Line bottom and sides with foil.
3. Heat condensed milk and chips over low heat, stirring, until chips melt. Combine flour, soda and salt.
4. Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in flour mixture until dough just comes together. Reserve ½ cup dough. Press remaining dough into bottom and ½-inch up sides of pan.
5. Pour butterscotch filling onto dough. Crumble remaining dough on top. Sprinkle with pecans.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Using foil, lift from pan and cut into squares.

• 2 cups maple syrup
• 3 egg whites; stiffly beaten
• 1 tablespoon sherry
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites until they are stiff.
3. In a 3-quart saucepan boil maple syrup for 10 minutes and pour over stiffly beaten egg whites. Stir until thick over hot water; add sherry and powdered sugar. Stir in chopped pecans.
4. Force through pastry tube onto lightly buttered and floured cookie sheet.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Makes 5 dozen 1-inch cookies

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

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Combine butter, brown sugar, flour and egg food processor or with electric mixer until blended. Press evenly in 15-inch-by-10-inch-by-¾-inch jelly roll pan.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely. Cut into squares.

1. Spread pecans evenly over crust.
2. In large, heavy saucepan, melt butter and honey. Add brown sugar. Boil 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until a rich brown caramel color. Remove from heat. Stir in cream. Mix well and pour over pecans.
3. Continue baking for 15 minutes longer. Cool, and then cut into bars. Freezes well

Makes: about 50 bars

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Have ungreased baking sheets ready.
2. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl until well-mixed. Stir in flour and baking powder. (If kitchen is warm, refrigerate dough for a few minutes; dough should be firm enough to roll easily.) Shape scant teaspoonsful of dough into balls about the size of a marble. Place on baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Flatten slightly.
3. Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
4. Melt chocolate chips with shortening in top of double boiler set over simmering water. Remove from heat.
5. Flatten caramel halves so they are the same diameter as the cookie. Put one caramel half on top of each cookie. (If necessary, use a dab of chocolate as “glue” to help caramel adhere to cookie.) Using a small metal spatula, spread melted chocolate thinly over top and sides of caramel and cookie to cover. Press chopped pecans onto tops of cookies. Let stand on a wire rack until chocolate firms (refrigerate if desired), about 20 minutes. Put into individual paper wrappers. Store in a cookie tin with a piece of wax paper between each layer.

1. Microwave ¾ cups butter and 2 ounce chocolate squares on HIGH 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted.
2. Stir in crumbs, coconut and pecans. Press into bottom of 13-inch-by-9-inch baking pan; chill 30 minutes.
3. Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until well blended. Spread over crust; chill 30 minutes.
4. Microwave remaining butter and chocolate squares on HIGH 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Spread over cream cheese layer. Chill. Cut into squares.

Makes 4 dozen

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder and soda, salt and spices. Beat the butter with the sugar for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture. Stir in carrots, nuts and raisins.
4. Drop the batter by generous tablespoons onto the greased baking sheets 2 inches apart.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until edges are lightly browned.

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Mix flour, margarine and ¼ cup brown sugar; press in ungreased 8-inch-by-8-inch-by-2-inch baking pan. Bake 10 minutes.
3. In small mixer bowl on low speed beat cream cheese, brown sugar, egg, milk and teaspoon vanilla for 30 seconds scraping bowl constantly. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Spread over baked layer; sprinkle with pecans.
4. Bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes until edges are light brown. Cool; refrigerate at least 2 hours. Cut into 1¼-inches squares. Store in refrigerator.

Makes about 3 dozen squares