Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Toasted Pecans and Caramelized Bananas

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The flax seed meal adds nuttiness, crunch, and even more nutrition.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • About 1 1/2 tablespoons roasted pecan oil* or other nut oil, divided
  • 1/2 cup steel-cut oatmeal, such as McCann’s Irish
  • 2 tablespoons flax seed meal*
  • 1 large or 2 small ripe (brown-flecked) bananas, sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • About 1 1/2 tablespoons honey, divided
  • 2 tablespoons chopped toasted pecans

Preparation

  1. Boil 2 1/2 cups water in a saucepan. Stir in salt and 1/2 tbsp. oil, then oats. Cook, stirring, until oats start to thicken and look creamy, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until oats are thick and very creamy, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in flax seed meal.
  2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp. oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add bananas and cook until translucent at edges, about 3 minutes. Flip with a spatula, drizzle with 1 tbsp. honey, and cook until soft and lightly browned, about 1 minute more.
  3. Stir 1/2 tbsp. honey into oatmeal. Pour into 2 bowls; stir in more oil and some nuts. Top with bananas and more pecans.

*Find nut oil and flax seed meal at natural-foods and well-stocked grocery stores.

 

Mama’s German Chocolate Cake

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Pure Southern perfection! Layers of moist German chocolate cake and sweet-and-nutty Coconut-Pecan Frosting will make this dessert an instant favorite.

Ingredients

  • Parchment paper
  • 2 (4-oz.) packages sweet chocolate baking bars*
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs, separated
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • Coconut-Pecan Frosting
  • Garnish: chocolate-dipped toasted pecan halves

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease 3 (9-inch) round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper, and lightly grease paper.
  2. Microwave chocolate baking bars and 1/2 cup water in a large microwave-safe bowl at HIGH for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until chocolate is melted and smooth, stirring once halfway through.
  3. Combine flour and next 2 ingredients in a medium bowl.
  4. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.
  5. Beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form; gently fold into batter. Pour batter into prepared pans.
  6. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of cake layers to loosen from sides of pans. Cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks; discard parchment paper. Cool completely (about 1 hour). Spread Coconut-Pecan Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish, if desired.

Note

We tested with Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate Bar.

Coconut-Pecan Frosting

Ingredients

  • 2 cups chopped pecans
  • 1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 6 egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Cool completely (about 20 minutes).
  2. Meanwhile, cook evaporated milk, sugar, butter, and egg yolks in a heavy 3-qt. saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 3 to 4 minutes or until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cook, stirring constantly, 12 to 14 minutes or until mixture becomes a light caramel color, is bubbling, and reaches a pudding-like thickness.
  3. Remove pan from heat; stir in coconut, vanilla, and pecans. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Let stand, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes or until cooled and spreading consistency.

Pecan-Stuffed Pickled Jalapeños

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For an easy appetizer, fill pickled jalapeños with garlic-and-herb cheese. Top with toasted pecans, and you’re ready to entertain!

Ingredients

  • Whole pickled Jalapeño peppers
  • Spreadable garlic-and-herb cheese, softened
  • Chopped toasted pecans

Preparation

  1. Cut peppers in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds and membranes.
  2. Pipe softened cheese into each pepper half. Press peppers, cheese sides down, into chopped toasted pecans.
  3. Cover and chill up to 1 day.

Maple-Pecan Biscotti

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A maple syrup-laced powdered sugar drizzle puts a sweet spin on these hearty cookies.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup toasted chopped pecans
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 1 recipe Maple Drizzle (see recipe below)

Preparation

  1. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour and the 1 cup toasted chopped pecans.
  2. Divide dough in half. If necessary, cover and chill for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
  3. Lightly grease a cookie sheet; set aside.
  4. Shape each half of dough into a 9-inch-long loaf. Place 4 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Flatten loaves slightly. Sprinkle with the 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans; press into tops of loaves. Flatten loaves to about 3 inches wide.
  5. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool loaves on cookie sheet on a wire rack for 1 hour. Transfer to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut each loaf diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place slices, cut sides down, on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  6. Bake in a 325 degree F oven for 8 minutes. Turn slices over; bake for 8 to 10 minutes more or until dry and crisp. Transfer to a wire rack; cool. Drizzle with Maple Drizzle. Makes about 24 cookies.

Maple Drizzle: In a small mixing bowl stir together 1 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Stir in additional maple syrup (4 to 5 tablespoons) to make icing of drizzling consistency.

Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie

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This pecan pie is to die for! Forget your tried-and-true pecan pie recipe and replace it immediately with this one. You’ll never look back.

Ingredients

1/2 (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons bourbon*
1 1/2 cups pecan halves

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 325°. Fit piecrust into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet; sprinkle piecrust with powdered sugar.
  2. Whisk eggs in a large bowl until foamy; whisk in brown sugar and next 6 ingredients. Pour mixture into piecrust, and top with pecan halves.
  3. Bake at 325° for 30 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 300°, and bake 30 more minutes. Turn oven off, and let pie stand in oven, with door closed, 3 hours.

*Vanilla extract may be substituted

Salty Chocolate-Pecan Candy

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The hardest part about making Salty Chocolate-Pecan Candy is waiting for the chocolate to firm up before devouring it.

To get the marbled effect, alternate white and dark chocolate squares on a baking pan. Bake as directed, remove from oven, and immediately swirl the warm chocolate with a wooden pick.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
  • 3 (4-oz.) bars bittersweet chocolate baking bars
  • 3 (4-oz.) white chocolate baking bars
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt*

Preparation

  1. Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet.
  2. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted.
  3. Line a 17- x 12-inch jelly-roll pan with parchment paper. Break each chocolate bar into 8 equal pieces. (You will have 48 pieces total.) Arrange in a checkerboard pattern in jelly-roll pan, alternating white and dark chocolate. (Pieces will touch.)
  4. Bake at 225° for 5 minutes or just until chocolate is melted. Remove pan to a wire rack. Swirl chocolates into a marble pattern using a wooden pick. Sprinkle evenly with toasted pecans and salt.
  5. Chill 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 month.

*3/4 teaspoon kosher salt may be substituted.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bars and Ghirardelli White Chocolate Baking Bars.