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.

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.

Chicken Pecan Wraps
Pecans add a touch of crunch to the warm chicken mixture in these speedy soft-shell tacos. Kick up the heat a notch or two by using medium or hot salsa.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 3 tablespoons sour cream
  • 4 flour tortillas (10 inches), warmed
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup salsa
  • Shredded lettuce, optional

PREPARATION

  1. In a large skillet, cook chicken, onion and cumin over medium heat in butter until chicken juices run clear.
  2. Reduce heat to low. Add pecans and sour cream; cook and stir until heated through.
  3. Spoon about 1/2 cupful down the center of each tortilla; layer with cheese, salsa and lettuce if desired.
  4. Roll up.

Yield: 4 servings.

 


Toasted Butter Pecan Cake
If you like butter pecan ice cream, you’ll love this cake. Loads of nuts are folded into the batter, and more are sprinkled over the delectable frosting.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, softened, divided
  • 2-2/3 cups chopped pecans
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup 2% milk

FROSTING:

  • 2 packages (one 8 ounces, one 3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 2/3 cup butter, softened
  • 6-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons 2% milk

Directions

  1. In a small heavy skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add pecans; cook over medium heat until toasted, about 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  2. In a large bowl, cream sugar and remaining butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Beat just until combined. Fold in 2 cups reserved pecans.
  3. Spread evenly into three greased and waxed paper-lined 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
  4. For frosting, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with remaining pecans. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 12-16 servings.

Pecan Meltaways
These sugared nut-filled balls are a tradition of ours at Christmastime. They make an attractive addition to a plate of holiday cookies…and they melt in your mouth!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans
  • Additional confectioners’ sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in pecans. Refrigerate until chilled.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°. Roll into 1-in. balls and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Roll warm cookies in additional confectioners’ sugar; cool completely on wire racks. Roll cooled cookies again in confectioners’ sugar.

Yield: 4 dozen.


Salted Caramel-Chocolate Pecan Pie
A cross between a fudge pie and pecan pie, this is all the more stunning if you arrange the pecans from the center in a spiral pattern.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup 100% cacao unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup toasted chopped pecans
  • 1 (9-inch) unbaked deep-dish piecrust shell
  • 1 recipe
  • Salted Caramel Topping

Preparation

  1. Prepare Filling: Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add eggs, stirring until well blended. Fold in chopped pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell.
  2. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. (Filling will be loose but will set as it cools.) Remove from oven to a wire rack.
  3. Arrange pecan halves on pie. Top with warm caramel. Cool 15 minutes; sprinkle with sea salt.

Note: We tested with Hershey’s 100% Cacao Special Dark Cocoa and Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.

Salted Caramel Topping

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 2 cups toasted pecan halves
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation

  1. Bring sugar, lemon juice and cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. (Do not stir.)
  2. Boil, swirling occasionally after sugar begins to change color, 8 minutes or until dark amber. (Do not walk away from the pan, as the sugar could burn quickly once it begins to change color.)
    Remove from heat; add cream and butter.
  3. Stir constantly until bubbling stops and butter is incorporated (about 1 minute).
  4. Stir in table salt.