About Rene Carter

Thumbprint Cookies

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Thumbprint-Cookies
These cookies have a bit of crunch from the finely chopped pecans, sweetness from the almond extract, and richness from the butter. Strawberry and peach jams make beautiful jewel-colored fillings, but you can use other Southern favorite jams, such as blackberry, muscadine, or apple. They’re the perfect cookies to make with the kids―let them make the thumbprints and choose the filling.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs, separated
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups finely chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup strawberry jam
  • 1/4 cup peach jam
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

Preparation

  1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks and almond extract, beating until blended.
  2. Combine flour and salt; add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Cover and chill dough 1 hour.
  3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Lightly beat egg whites. Dip each dough ball in egg white; roll in pecans. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press thumb in each dough ball to make an indentation.
  4. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Cool 1 minute on baking sheets, and remove to wire racks to cool completely. Press centers again with thumb while cookies are still warm; fill center of each cookie with jam.

Pecan-Cheese Crisps

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Pecan-Cheese-Crisps

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
  • Parchment paper

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 400°.
  2. Stir together Parmesan cheese and pecans in a small bowl.
  3. Spoon cheese mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, forming mounds.
  4. Flatten each into a 2-inch round, creating an even thickness.
  5. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
  6. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool 15 minutes or until crisp. Store between layers of wax paper in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Chocolate Baklava

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Chocolate Baklava
This is a simply amazing recipe—layers of crisp phyllo interspersed with mixed nuts and hazelnut-chocolate spread, with just enough butter to enhance the flavor yet keep the sat fat low. Baklava is a classic Mediterranean dessert that traditionally features layered phyllo dough, nuts, and syrup or honey. In this version, creamy chocolate-hazelnut spread adds rich, decadent flavor to this nutty, crowd-pleasing pastry. Because phyllo sheets are thin and delicate, handle with care so you won’t tear the sheets. Keep the sheets you are not working with covered so it won’t dry out.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
  • 1 cup hazelnut-chocolate spread (such as Nutella)
  • 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped
  • 1/3 cup blanched toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
  • 1/3 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • Cooking spray
  • 24 (14 x 9-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted

PREPARATION

  1. Combine the first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat; stir until honey dissolves. Increase heat to medium; cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 230° (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat; keep warm. Discard cinnamon stick.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°.
  3. Place hazelnut-chocolate spread in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH for 30 seconds or until melted.
  4. Combine hazelnuts and next 5 ingredients (through salt).
  5. Lightly coat a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray.
  6. Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), place 1 phyllo sheet lengthwise in bottom of prepared pan, allowing ends of sheet to extend over edges of dish; lightly brush with butter. Repeat procedure with 5 phyllo sheets and butter.
  7. Drizzle about 1/3 cup melted hazelnut -chocolate spread over phyllo. Sprinkle evenly with one-third of nut mixture (about 1/2 cup).
  8. Repeat procedure twice with phyllo, butter, hazelnut-chocolate spread, and nut mixture.
  9. Top last layer of nut mixture with remaining 6 sheets phyllo, each lightly brushed with butter. Press gently into pan.
  10. Make 3 lengthwise cuts and 5 crosswise cuts to form 24 portions using a sharp knife.
  11. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until phyllo is golden.
  12. Remove from oven. Drizzle honey mixture over baklava.
  13. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cover; store at room temperature.

NOTE

Because phyllo sheets are thin and delicate, handle with care so you won’t tear the sheets. Keep the sheets you are not working with covered so it won’t dry out.

Pecan Squares

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Peanut-Butter-Toffee-Turtle-Cookies
These turtle cookies have every indulgent flavor we could pack in a recipe: chocolate, peanut butter, caramel, and toffee. You’re already baking a batch, aren’t you?

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose baking mix
  • 2/3 cup almond toffee bits
  • 2/3 cup coarsely chopped peanuts
  • 2/3 cup milk chocolate morsels
  • 10 ounce vanilla caramels
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup milk chocolate morsels, melted

Preparation

TIP: The chocolate drizzle on the cookies will harden as it cools.

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add egg, beating until blended. Add baking mix, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in toffee bits, chopped peanuts, and 2/3 cup chocolate morsels.
  2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets; flatten dough with hand.
  3. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool cookies on baking sheets 1 minute; remove cookies to wire racks.
  4. Microwave caramels and 2 tablespoons cream in a glass bowl at HIGH 1 minute; stir. Continue to microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring until caramels melt and mixture is smooth; add remaining cream, if necessary. Stir in vanilla. Spoon caramel mixture evenly onto tops of cookies; drizzle evenly with melted chocolate.

Crunchy Pecan Pie Bites

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Crunchy-Pecan-Pie-Bites
Cram all the amazing flavor of pecan pie into these bite-sized treats that are perfect for parties and gift-giving alike.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups chopped pecans
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup dark corn syrup
  • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 5 (2.1-oz.) packages frozen mini-phyllo pastry shells

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350º. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant.
  2. Stir together sugar and corn syrup in a medium bowl. Stir in pecans, eggs, and next 3 ingredients.
  3. Spoon about 1 heaping teaspoonful pecan mixture into each pastry shell, and place on 2 large baking sheets.
  4. Bake at 350º for 20 to 22 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks, and let cool completely (about 30 minutes). Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Mini Pecan Pies:

Substitute 1 1/2 (8-oz.) packages frozen tart shells for frozen mini-phyllo pastry shells. Prepare recipe as directed through Step 2. Spoon about 1/4 cup pecan mixture into each tart shell. Place tart shells on a large baking sheet. Proceed with recipe as directed in Step 4, increasing bake time to 25 to 30 minutes or until set. Garnish with currants, if desired. Makes 1 dozen. Prep: 15 min., Bake: 30 min.
Note:

Baking time is 22 minutes per batch.

Chocolate Velvet Cake With Coconut-Pecan Frosting

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Chocolate-Velvet-Cake-With-Coconut-Pecan-Frosting
A lavish amount of melted chocolate and sour cream gives these moist cake layers a tender, velvet-textured crumb. The recipe is a favorite with our Foods staff – one we use often for celebrations throughout the year. You’ll find lots of imaginative ways to bake and frost the cake layers listed with the recipe for the batter.

Chocolate Velvet Cake Batter

This smooth and creamy chocolate velvet cake batter is the basis for many of our most beloved and delicious layer cakes.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 (16-ounce) package light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 8-ounce container sour cream
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Melt semisweet chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH for 30-second intervals until melted (about 1 1/2 minutes total time). Stir until smooth.
  2. Beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer, beating about 5 minutes or until well blended.
  3. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended.
  4. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.
  5. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.
  6. Gradually add 1 cup hot water in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended.
  7. Stir in vanilla
  8. Spoon batter evenly into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove layers from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack.
  9. Spread Coconut-Pecan Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Note

The addition of hot water at the end of this recipe makes for an exceptionally moist cake.

Coconut-Pecan Frosting

Ingredients

  • 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
    1 1/2 cups sugar
    3/4 cup butter or margarine
    6 egg yolks
    1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
    1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Preparation

  1. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, 12 minutes.
  2. Remove from heat; add remaining ingredients, and stir until frosting is cool and of spreading consistency.