Acorn Squash with Wehani Rice and Pecan Stuffing

  • 3 acorn squash
  • 2 cup wehani rice or rice blend
  • 4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon tamari
  • 1 tablespoon soy margarine or unsalted butter
  • 1 cup carrot, diced
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest, minced
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  1. Halve squash lengthwise. Seed, then steam for 20 minutes. Squash will not be fully cooked. Set aside. May be prepared one day ahead. Refrigerate.
  2. Bring water and tamari to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Rice may be cooked up to 2 days ahead; refrigerate until used.
  3. For stuffing: in a large skillet, sauté carrots, celery, onion, thyme and ginger in margarine or butter until onions are golden. Thoroughly toss in pecans, orange zest and rice. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside. Stuffing may be prepared 1 day ahead and refrigerated.
  4. Put orange juice, honey and cinnamon into a small jar and shake vigorously to combine. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Glaze may be prepared a day ahead.
  5. One hour before serving, Preheat oven to 375ºF.
  6. Mound stuffing mixture into each squash half to about 2 inches over top of squash. Place stuffed squash halves in a baking pan filled with ½ cup of water. Drizzle some glaze over stuffing and brush onto squash. Cover with foil
  7. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. Drizzle remaining glaze over squash, and continue baking, uncovered, for another 20 minutes until glazed and lightly browned. Serve immediately.
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Acorn Squash with Wehani Rice and Pecan Stuffing

  • 3 acorn squash
  • 2 cup wehani rice or rice blend
  • 4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon tamari
  • 1 tablespoon soy margarine or unsalted butter
  • 1 cup carrot, diced
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest, minced
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Glaze

  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  1. Halve squash lengthwise. Seed, then steam for 20 minutes. Squash will not be fully cooked. Set aside. May be prepared one day ahead. Refrigerate.
  2. Bring water and tamari to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Rice may be cooked up to 2 days ahead; refrigerate until used.
  3. For stuffing: in a large skillet, sauté carrots, celery, onion, thyme and ginger in margarine or butter until onions are golden. Thoroughly toss in pecans, orange zest and rice. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside. Stuffing may be prepared 1 day ahead and refrigerated.
  4. Put orange juice, honey and cinnamon into a small jar and shake vigorously to combine. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Glaze may be prepared a day ahead.
  5. One hour before serving, Preheat oven to 375ºF.
  6. Mound stuffing mixture into each squash half to about 2 inches over top of squash. Place stuffed squash halves in a baking pan filled with ½ cup of water. Drizzle some glaze over stuffing and brush onto squash. Cover with foil
  7. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. Drizzle remaining glaze over squash, and continue baking, uncovered, for another 20 minutes until glazed and lightly browned. Serve immediately.
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Alabama Chocolate Pecan Pie

  • 1 9-inch pie shell; unbaked
  • 3 each eggs; slightly beaten
  • 1 cup Karo Light or Dark Corn Syrup
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons margarine, melted
  • 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1½ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Halves
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  2. In a large bowl, stir first 6 ingredients until well blended. Stir in pecans. Pour into pie shell.
  3. Bake in a preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Cool.
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Alabama Pecan Meringues

  • 1 cup Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 cup light brown sugar; firmly packed
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  2. Chop the nuts medium fine. Mix the nuts, flour and cornstarch in a small bowl.
  3. Beat the egg whites until stiff, adding sugar gradually. Fold in the flour/nut mixture.
  4. Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper.
  5. Bake in preheated oven for about 18 to 20 minutes then remove cookies to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
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Almond Crust

  • 1½ cups blanched almonds
  • 1 egg white
  • ¼ cup sugar
  1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
  2. Using a knife, chop the almonds fine. Or chop them briefly in a food processor.
  3. Beat the egg white until stiff and gradually fold in the sugar. Fold in the chopped almonds and press the mixture firmly over the bottom and sides of an oiled 9-inch pie plate. Bake the shell until light brown. Remove to a rack and cool.

Yield: 6 tart shells, or 2 9-inch pie shells

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Almost Pecan Pie Cookies

  • 1 cup unsalted butter; melted
  • 1 cup light brown sugar; firmly packed
  • 2 cups flour
  • 4 eggs; slightly beaten
  • 2 cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups dark brown sugar; firmly packed
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup coconut
  • Powdered sugar
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  2. Mix the butter, 2 cups flour and light brown sugar. Spread evenly in a 9-inch-by-13-inch pan.
  3. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
  4. Lower the oven temperature to 325ºF.
  5. Mix the eggs, pecans, salt, brown sugar, vanilla and coconut. Spread over the crust.
  6. Continue baking for 40 minutes until the mixture is firm. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar while it is still warm. Cool. Cut into 48 squares. Freezes well.
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Angel Pecan Pie

  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup Ritz Cracker crumbs
  • 1½ cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ¼ teaspoon almond flavoring
  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  2. In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites until foamy. Add 1 cup sugar a little at a time, beating after each addition. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Continue beating until mixture holds soft peaks.
  3. In a large mixing bowl mix cracker crumbs and 1 cup pecans. Fold into meringue mixture a little at a time. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch pie plate to form a shell. Pull up mixture into peaks around edge of plate with back of spoon. Spread evenly.
  4. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. Cool thoroughly on a wire cake rack.
  5. In a large mixing bowl mix cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and almond flavoring. Whip until thick and shiny. Spoon into cold pie shell.
  6. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup chopped pecans round edge of cream. Using a sharp knife, cut like a pie.
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Anise and Pecan Biscotti

  • 1⅔ cups bread flour
  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 2 cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon anise seeds
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • ½ teaspoon anise extract
  • 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate; optional
  1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
  2. Blend bread and cake flours, pecans, baking powder, baking soda and anise seeds in bowl.
  3. Melt butter and set aside to cool.
  4. In a large mixing bowl beat 2 eggs, 1 additional egg yolk and sugar until smooth. Reserve the remaining egg white. Stir in zests and anise. Add butter and mix until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix to smooth dough.
  5. Roll dough into two 14-inch logs and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press tops of logs to flatten slightly. Brush with reserved egg white.
  6. Bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes until logs are light brown, but still give slightly when tops are pressed.
  7. Remove pan from oven and reduce temperature to 325ºF.
  8. While logs are still warm, cut diagonally into ½-inch slices. Return slices to baking sheet, placing on sides and then return to oven.
  9. Bake in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes until cookies are lightly brown. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.
  10. Cut chocolate into ½-inch chunks. Place two-thirds in stainless steel bowl, spreading in even layer over bottom and up sides of bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Fill medium saucepan one-third full of water. Bring water to simmer over high heat. Remove pan from heat and set bowl of chocolate over top. Let stand until 80% of the chocolate has melted. Do not let temperature of chocolate drop below 88ºF on candy thermometer. If so, place bowl over saucepan of warm water and continue stirring. Stir until chocolate is smooth and glossy. Have clean sheet of waxed paper nearby.
  11. Dip half of each cookie in chocolate. As cookie is removed, scrape top and bottom against side of bowl to remove excess chocolate. Set cookies on waxed paper until chocolate sets, about 3 hours or put into freezer for about 20 minutes.
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Apple Dressing with Texas Pecans

  • 2 medium onions; diced
  • 1 large green pepper; diced
  • 4 cooking apples; diced
  • 8 garlic cloves; minced
  • 2 tablespoon thyme leaves
  • ½ pounds margarine (or more)
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 large bag seasoned stuffing mix
  • 2 bunch scallions; diced
  • 6 celery stalks; diced
  • 2 cups Pecan Valley Pecan Pieces
  • Turkey giblets; boiled, and diced
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano or 4 tablespoons fresh oregano
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
  • 6 cup chicken stock
  1. Melt the margarine in a large stock pot. Add the onions, scallions, green pepper, celery, apples, pecans, garlic, turkey g giblets, and all the spices and seasonings, and sauté in the margarine, until the onions are translucent, and the smell is driving you crazy.
  2. Add the stuffing mix; turn down the heat, and stir until it is well mixed, taking care not to let the bottom burn.
  3. Add the chicken stock, until you have the right texture and consistency. As soon as it is added, turn the fire off, and set the dressing to cool, before stuffing the turkey.

Stuffs a 20 pounds turkey

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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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