Pecan Recipes

If you check the top of page 7 of this week’s Hysham Echo, you will see that April 14th is National Pecan Day - so I decided to publish recipes that had pecans in them. As you can see I did not include a pecan pie recipe as I’m sure everyone already has one! I will have to say that I have not tried any of these recipes, but after years of cooking and having a degree in Home Economics I feel pretty certain that they will be good......... maybe!

Tar Heel Pie

1/2 c. butter, melted
3/4 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. flaked coconut
1/4 c. chocolate chips
1 (9 inch) pie crust, unbaked
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, pour warm melted butter over 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Stir until smooth. Mix together flour, brown sugar, and white sugar, then stir into chocolate mixture. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Fold in pecans, coconut, and 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Pour into pie crust.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Top should be set, and may crack slightly, but the pie is best if under-baked.

WHAT IS A TAR HEEL? Once used as a term of derision, it has come to symbolize the strength of North Carolinas in the face of adversity. During early days as a British Colony, North Carolina was an important source of tar and pitch used by ships of the Royal Navy. As much as 100,000 barrels of this gruesome goo was shipped back to England every year. The writer Walt Whitman was famous for calling the local people “Tarboilers” as an insult. The name evolved to become Tar Heel. In the American Civil War, units from North Carolina made the furthest advance at the Battle of Gettysburg and held their position. Legend has it that a Confederate General said “God Bless those boys from North Carolina. They have stuck to their position like they have tar on their heels”, or so the legend goes. So Tar Heels get stuck in and hold on through even the toughest fight. It is also the name for students at The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Plantation Pork Chops

4 Pork chops - loin, double-cut
1 tbsp Pecans, chopped fine
2 c. Corn bread stuffing
Salt
Pepper
2 T. Melted butter
1/4 c. Light Corn syrup
1/3 c. Orange juice
1/2 t. Orange peel, grated
Have butcher cut a pocket or with a sharp knife cut a horizontal slit in side of each chop forming a pocket for stuffing. Combine stuffing with butter, 1/4 tsp salt, orange juice and pecans. Fill pockets with stuffing. Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper. Place in crock pot.
Brush with mixture of corn syrup and orange peel. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Uncover; turn control to high and brush with sauce again. Cook on high for 15 to 20 minutes. makes 4 servings.

Slow Cooker Baked Apples

8 Apples
1/3 c. Raisins
1/3 c. Chopped pecans
1/3 c. Brown sugar - packed
1 t. Cinnamon
1/2 t. Nutmeg
2 T Margarine
1/2 c. Apple cider
1 T Lemon juice
Combine raisins, pecans, and brown sugar. Peel top 1/3 of apples. Remove and discard cores. Fill cavities with the raisin/pecan mixture. Place in crockpot. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg; dot with margarine. Add cider and lemon juice. Cook on low for 8 hours to overnight.

Spicy Cheese Dressing

8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. milk
2 T sugar
3 T lime juice, or lemon juice
1 t. ground ginger
1/3 c. pecans - chopped
Into small bowl, measure all ingredients; with mixer at medium speed, beat until smooth.
Serve on melon or papaya wedges, fruit salad, avocado halves. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Heavenly Rice Dessert

1 (15 1/4 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 c. instant rice
1 (3 oz. ) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 c. miniature marshmallows
1/3 c. chopped pecans, optional
Frozen whipped topping, optional
Drain pineapple and reserve 3/4 cup of the pineapple juice. Place reserved juice in small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in instant rice. Simmer 2 minutes, then cover, remove from heat, and let steam for 5 minutes. Prepare pudding mix according to package directions. Fold marshmallows and crushed pineapple into pudding, then stir in rice. Stir in chopped pecans, if desired. Pour into 2 qt. serving dish. Garnish with frozen whipped topping, if desired. Refrigerate until firm. Serve cold. Makes 6 servings (about 1 cup each).

Carrot Cake Cookies

1 c. Butter
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon, ground
1/2 t. salt
1 c. pecans, chopped
2 c. carrots, grated
Icing Ingredients:
4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. Butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 t. vanilla
1 tube green decorator icing, if desired
1 tube orange decorator icing, if desired
Heat oven to 350 F.
Combine 1 cup butter, sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (2 to 3 minutes).
Add eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla; beat until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes). Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Beat, scraping bowl often, until well mixed (2 to 3 minutes). Stir in pecans and carrots.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Cool completely.
Meanwhile, beat powdered sugar, 1/2 cup butter, cream cheese and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in medium bowl at medium speed until smooth and creamy (3 to 5 minutes). Frost each cooled cookie with 2 teaspoonfuls frosting. Use decorator icing to make a carrot design on top of each cookie, if desired. Yield: 3 1/2 dozen cookies Print this post