What to do with Pecans?
How to Make Pecan Pie

The holidays would not be the same without crunchy nuts. I can remember when Christmas came around, how we looked forward to cracking nuts with a nutcracker. Some states, have pecan trees growing right in backyards. You are lucky if you do.

Why they are so expensive on the market, I do not know. Pecan pie is an old traditional Thanksgiving treat. Pecan Pralines originated in the southern states, where pecans are abundant.

Nutty Tips: To quickly crack a large amount of nuts, put in a bag and gently hammer until they are cracked open. Then remove nutmeats with a pick.
-If nuts are stale, place them in the oven at 250 and leave them there for 5 or 10 minutes. The heat will revive them.
-Seeds and nuts, both shelled and unshelled, keep best and longest when stored in the freezer. Unshelled nuts crack more easily when frozen. Nuts and seeds can be used directly from the freezer.
-Instead of using white corn syrup and brown sugar, you can use dark corn syrup and white sugar.

How to Make Pecan Pie

1 cup white corn syrup
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
3 eggs - slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 heaping cup pecans
1 unbaked 9 inch pastry shell

Mix all ingredients well in a bowl Pour into unbaked 9 inch pastry shell Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 min. or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool

Yes, I know my pecan pie got "rather brown." and I'll tell you why. It's because when I inserted the knife in the center to see if it was done, I didn't think it was. So I shouldn't have cooked it the extra 10 min. that I did. But it still tasted great.

Pecan Pie

3 eggs
1 c. dark syrup
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 T. butter (melted)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt

Beat eggs slightly, then add syrup, sugar, butter, salt and vanilla. Stir pecans in last. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, then 350 until done.
Recipe from an Amish Church Recipebook

Minature Pecan pies (Recipe from 1974)

1 3oz package of cream cheese softened
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup flour

Combine cream cheese and margarine; blend well. Add flour and mix thoroughly. Chill overnight. Divide pastry into 24 balls and press into minature muffin tins, covering bottom and sides. Spoon Pecan Filling into pastry shells. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Cool in pans; turn out onto waxed paper.

PECAN FILLING:
1 egg lightly beaten
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon margarine melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash of salt
2/3 cup coarsely broken pieces.

Combine all ingredients, mix well.
Note: for variety use coconut and dates in place of pecans. Pastry shells can be baked and then filled with jellies or marmalade.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

9 inch unbaked pie shell
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup cocoa
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs - slightly beaten
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 cup chopped pecans - optional
1 cup pecan halves

Heat oven to 375. In a medium saucepan over low heat melt butter, add cocoa and stir until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat, cool slightly. Stir in sugar, salt, eggs, and corn syrup, blend thoroughly. Stir in chopped nuts
Pour into unbaked pie shell. Place pecan halves over top. Bake 40 minutes. Cool. Cover. Let stand about 8 hrs before serving. Garnish with sweetened whipped cream, or ice cream. Makes 1 pie.

Pecan Logs

How to Make the Nougat:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
3 stiffly beaten egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup candied cherries

Combine 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup corn syrup, and 1/2 cup water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Boil until temperature reaches 248 F. or until a firm ball is formed when a little of the mixture is dropped into cold water. Pour syrup slowly over stiffly beaten egg whites and beat until cool. While beating, make a duplicate syrup with the remaining sugar and corn syrup and 1/2 cup water.

When cooking is finished, pour slowly into the cooled mixture, beating while adding. When cool, beat in vanilla, nuts, and cherries. Turn into a buttered pan. Chill overnight. Cut and wrap in wax paper. To make pecan logs roll the nougat into the size logs you want. Dip in caramel, and roll in pecans.

Pecan Logs... continued

Nougat logs you prepared above
1 bag (14 ounces) caramels
3 Tbl water
1 1/2 cups roasted chopped pecans (or any chopped nuts)

Melt the caramels with the 3 tablespoons of water until smooth. Dip logs
into caramel; roll in pecans, place on wax paper. Chill for 2 hours. Cut into
slices if desired.

Pecan Pralines (Recipe from 1974)

2 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup milk
3 cups pecans

Combine first 4 ingredients and bring to a boil. Add pecans and cook 4 minutes. Remove from heat and drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.

Pralines (recipe from 1800's)

1 7/8 cups powdered sugar
2 cups hickory nut or pecanmeat, cut in pieces
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup cream

Boil first three ingredients until, when tried in cold water, a soft ball may be formed. Remove from fire, and beat until of a creamy consistency; add nuts, and drop from tip of spoon in small piles on buttered paper, or mixture may be poured into a buttered tin and cut in squares, using a sharp knife.

Also see Aunt Elle's Praline Pecan Crunch

Pecan Turtles

Pecans
package carmels

Place pecans in groups of 3 on a cookie sheet, add a carmel on top. Place in oven till carmel melts over the pecans
Frost while warm to give frosting a glazed look

Frosting
1 square of sweet chocolate
1 Tblsp butter
1/21/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tblsp hot milk

Melt choc and butter, add vanilla, powdered sugar and hot milk. (Add extra sugar for more body) Beat with a spoon till smooth.

Pecan Half Moons (Recipe from 1963)

Making Pecan Crescents 1/2 lb. butter (2 sticks)
2 c. flour
2 c. chopped pecans
5 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar; add vanilla. Sift flour and salt, stir into mixture. Add pecans and mix well. Take some dough about the size of a walnut and shape into a crescent. Bake slowly at 325 degrees about 20 minutes. While warm, roll into powdered sugar.

Pecan Crispies

1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. butter
2 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 well beaten eggs
2 1/2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. soda
1 c. chopped pecans

Thoroughly cream shortening, butter, and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Add sifted dry ingredients. Add nuts. Drop from teaspoon, about 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes.

Spiced Pecans

1 egg white
1 tsp. cold water
1 lb pecan halves
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

In a mixing bowl, beat egg white lightly. Add water; beat until frothy but not stiff. Add pecans and stir until well coated. Combine sugar, salt and cinnamon. Sprinkle over pecans; toss to mix. Spread in a 15x10 inch greased baking pan. Bake at 250 for 1 hr, stirring occasionally. Yields: About 4 cups.

Also see What to do with Peanut Butter

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What to do with Pecans? How to Make Pecan Pie