About Texas Nut Shellers

Salted Caramel Strawberries

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Salted Caramel Strawberries
A quick dip in luscious caramel and a salty roll in finely chopped nuts turns fresh strawberries into a gourmet treat. Top picks: A ripe berry will have a shiny, deep red color from the tip of the berry to beneath the green cap. Check the carton from top to bottom for any damaged or moldy fruit—they’ll cause the others to deteriorate quickly.

Ingredients

  • 20 large fresh strawberries
  • 40 caramels
  • 3 tablespoons whipping cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans
  • Wax paper

Preparation

  1. Pat strawberries completely dry with paper towels.
  2. Microwave caramels, 3 Tbsp. whipping cream, and 1/4 tsp. salt in a 1-qt. microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 3 1/2 minutes or until smooth, stirring at 1-minute intervals.
  3. Dip each strawberry halfway into caramel mixture. Roll in nuts, and place on lightly greased wax paper. Let stand 15 minutes.
  4. Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 8 hours.

Note

For testing purposes only, we used Kraft Caramels

Roasted Pecan Salmon

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Roasted Pecan Salmon

Not only is salmon tasty, it’s loaded with heart-healthy omega-3s,mow hitch ease arthritis and depression symptoms. To get the most. Nutrition, look for wild salmon, not farmed, when you go to the store.

Ingredients

  • 4 salmon filets, 4-6 ounces each
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon honey
  • 2 Tablespoons seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped pecans
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • wedges fresh lemon
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

  1. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Place skin side down on baking sheet.
  2. Combine mustard and honey, brush on top of salmon.
  3. Mix topping of breadcrumbs, nuts, and parsley and sprinkle over salmon.
  4. Bake at 400°F 10-15 minutes or until flaky.
  5. Serve with wedges of fresh lemon.

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

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Carrot-Cake-Cheesecake
Two of our favorite cakes come together to make the ultimate spring dessert, this decadent carrot cake cheesecake. If you like carrot cake or cheesecake, you have to try this one! It’s an elegant dessert that is certain to impress. It would be perfect to make for Easter or an upcoming birthday. Really, who wouldn’t love this?

The ingredients and directions do look rather lengthy, but this is easier to make than the recipe makes it appear. Besides, even if it took hours to make, it’s worth it, this is carrot cake cheesecake! The hard part of this is the wait. Yes, cheesecake requires that long cooling and refrigeration period but the patience pays off once you get to sink your fork into a piece of this utterly divine cheesecake, through each of those irresistible layers, and you get to slowly savor each and every bite… Enjoy!

Ingredients

Cheesecake Mixture
  • 2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened well (but not melted)
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
Carrot Cake
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoons ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/3 cups finely grated carrots
Topping
  • 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 Tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons sour cream
  • 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

For the cheesecake mixture:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons flour until well combined. Add cream cheese and using an electric hand mixer set on low speed, blend together cream cheese and granulated sugar mixture until smooth.
  3. Mix in eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined after each addition and adding in vanilla with second egg.
  4. Blend in sour cream. Forcefully tap bowl against countertop about 30 times to release air bubbles.
  5. Set mixture aside.
  6. Rinse beaters clean. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg for 30 seconds.
  7. To a separate large mixing bowl, add canola oil, applesauce, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract and blend mixture using electric hand mixer set on low speed for 1 minute.
  8. With mixer running on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until well blended.
  9. Add carrots and mix until evenly distributed. Tap bowl forcefully against counter, about 3 times, just to release large air pockets.
To assemble cheesecake:
  1. Pour 1 1/2 cups carrot cake mixture into buttered springform pan and spread into an even layer. Dollop about 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture by the spoonfuls over carrot cake layer (don’t spread or swirl).
  2. Spoon remaining carrot cake mixture over cream cheese layer, then finish by drizzling by the remaining cheesecake mixture over carrot cake layer, working to cover all of the carrot cake mixture (I found this easiest to do this was by slowly drizzling over with the spoon).
  3. Bake in preheated oven 60 – 65 minutes, until center portion only jiggles slightly and tenting with aluminum foil at 40 minutes to prevent excessive browning (tent in a way that the foil doesn’t touch cheesecake or it will stick).
  4. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack 1 hour, then cover with foil and chill in refrigerator 6 hours or overnight.
For the topping:
  1. In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  2. Add remaining topping ingredients and mix until pale and fluffy, about 4 – 5 minutes.
  3. Spread evenly over cheesecake then chill cheesecake in freezer for 20 – 30 minutes. Sprinkle edges with chopped pecans.
  4. Cut into slices.
  5. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

Pimiento Cheese Cookies

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Pimiento Cheese Cookies
We used Palmetto Cheese, a Southern favorite, in these treats.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup refrigerated pimiento cheese
  • 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • Parchment paper
  • 4 tablespoons strawberry preserves

Preparation

  1. Beat together flour and pimiento cheese at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer 1 minute. Add pecans and butter; beat until blended. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; chill 2 hours.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°. Place dough on a well-floured surface, and roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 48 rounds with a 2-inch round cutter, rerolling scraps once. Arrange half of rounds 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets; spoon 1/2 tsp. strawberry preserves onto center of each round, and top with remaining rounds, pressing edges to seal.
  3. Bake at 400° for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets 10 minutes; transfer to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).

Blackberry-Peach Cobbler Bars

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image
Looking for a party-perfect treat that’s a cut above the classic fruit-filled cobbler? Consider it found. Toffee-glazed pecan pieces add a streusel-like crunch to the tops of these Blackberry-Peach Cobbler Bars.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 3 (6-oz.) packages fresh blackberries (about 4 cups)
  • 4 cups peeled and sliced fresh firm, ripe peaches
  • 3 tablespoons bourbon
  • 1 cup Glazed Pecans

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Beat first 2 ingredients and 1 cup granulated sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
  3. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
  4. Stir together baking powder, salt, and 3 cups flour; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until blended.
  5. Spread three-fourths of batter in a greased and floured 13- x 9-inch pan; sprinkle with blackberries.
  6. Stir together remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup flour in a medium bowl; add peaches and bourbon, stirring to coat.
  7. Spoon mixture over blackberries.
  8. Stir pecans into remaining batter; dollop over peach mixture.
  9. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until golden and bubbly.
  10. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour).
  11. Cut into bars.

Glazed Pecans

Ingredients

  • 2 cups pecan halves
  • ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 6 Tablespoons dark corn syrup

Preparation

  1. Stir together pecan halves, brown sugar, and dark corn syrup in a small bowl.
  2. Spread mixture in a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined jelly-roll pan.
  3. Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes or until glaze thickens, stirring every 4 minutes.
  4. Spread in a single layer on wax paper; cool completely, separating pecans as they cool. (For the prettiest garnish, leave some in clusters.)
  5. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Yield: Makes about 2 cups.

Summer Grilled Peach Salad

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Summer Grilled Peach Salad
Grilled peaches served atop a bed of arugala make for a great summertime salad. Add gorgonzola cheese and pecans for the perfect final touch.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pecans
  • 4 large fresh, ripe peaches, halved
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 (4-oz.) wedge Gorgonzola cheese, broken into 8 pieces
  • 2 cups arugula
  • 1/4 cup honey*
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 10 to 12 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.
  2. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Gently toss peach halves in 1 Tbsp. olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Grill peaches, cut sides down, covered with grill lid, 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. Turn peaches, and place 1 cheese piece in center of each peach; grill, covered with grill lid, 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese begins to melt.
  3. Toss arugula with remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Arrange arugula on a serving platter; sprinkle with toasted pecans, and top with grilled peach halves. Drizzle peaches with honey, and sprinkle with chives.

*Aged balsamic vinegar may be substituted.