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).

Blond Brownies a la Mode

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Blond Brownies a la Mode
Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
  • Maple Cream Sauce,
  • Vanilla ice cream and chopped pecans

Preparation

  1. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
  2. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
  3. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.
  4. Stir in pecans.
  5. Spread into a greased 13-inch x 9-inch baking pan.
  6. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
  7. Cool on a wire rack.
  8. Cut brownies into squares; cut in half if desired. Place on dessert plates with a scoop of ice cream. Top with sauce; sprinkle with pecans.

Yield: 20 servings.

Maple Cream Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup evaporated milk

Preparation

  1. Combine syrup and butter in a saucepan.
  2. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 3 minutes.
  3. Remove from the heat; stir in milk.

Caramel Brownies

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Caramel Brownies
Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup baking cocoa
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup 2% milk
  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chopped pecans, divided
  • 14 ounces caramels
  • 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

Preparation

  1. In a large bowl, beat the sugar, cocoa, oil, eggs and milk.
  2. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder; gradually add to egg mixture until well blended.
  3. Fold in chocolate chips and 1/2 cup pecans.
  4. Spoon two-thirds of the batter into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan.
  5. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the caramels and condensed milk over low heat until caramels are melted.
  7. Pour over baked brownie layer.
  8. Sprinkle with remaining pecans.
  9. Drop remaining batter by teaspoonfuls over caramel layer; carefully swirl brownie batter with a knife.
  10. Bake 35-40 minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs (do not overbake).
  11. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 2 dozen.

Caramel Pecan Bars

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Caramel Pecan Bars Recipe

These rich bars really capture the flavor of pecan pie.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, cubed
  • 2-1/4 cups packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 cups chopped pecans
  • Confectioners’ sugar, optional

Preparation

  1. In a large saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
  2. In a small bowl, beat eggs and vanilla. Gradually add hot sugar mixture, stirring constantly.
  3. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to the butter mixture and mix well. Stir in pecans.
  4. Spread into a greased 13-inch x 9-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs and edges are crisp.
  5. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired. Cut into bars.

Yield: 4 dozen.

 

 

Pecan Squares

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Pecan-Squares
If you like the taste of pecan pie, you’ll love this easy alternative. Serve the squares with vanilla ice cream for an over-the-top dessert.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2/3 cup butter
  • 3 tablespoons whipping cream
  • 3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Preparation

  1. Sift together 2 cups flour and 2/3 cup powdered sugar. Cut in 3/4 cup softened butter using a pastry blender or fork just until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pat mixture on bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a lightly greased 13-inch x 9-inch baking dish.
  2. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool.
  3. Bring brown sugar, honey, 2/3 cup butter, and whipping cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in pecans, and pour hot filling into prepared crust.
  4. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Cool completely before cutting into 2-inch squares.

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.