Fall Candied Pecans

Fall Candied Pecans:
I have 2 versions of these Pecans.

#1
2 C Pecan halves
1/2 C granulated Sugar
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 1/4 C Water

In a medium mixing bowl:
Granulated Sugar
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Whisk well.

In a small measuring cup:
Vanilla
Water

In a Saucepan on medium high heat:
Pecans
Sugar/Cinnamon
Vanilla/Water
Stir to coat the Pecans.

Stir constantly to a boil.
Continue stirring until it begins to thicken.

Pour on to a nonstick Sheet Pan or a Sheet Pan lined with Silpat or Foil.
Spread out into a single layer.
Allow to cool completely.
Break into pieces to serve.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

#2
2 C Pecan halves
1/4 C Granulated Sugar
1/4 C Brown Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Vanilla

In a Saucepan on medium high heat:
Granulated Sugar
Brown Sugar
Cook until melted.
Add Pecans and stir until well coated.
Add Vanilla and stir to combine well.
Heat to a boil and remove from the heat.
Transfer the Pecans to a nonstick Sheet Pan or a Sheet Pan lined with Silpat or Foil.
Spread into a single layer.
Sprinkle with Cinnamon.
Allow to cool completely.
Break into pieces to serve.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

The Everything Cookie from Ree Drummond

I was researching new cookie recipes and simply Googled, Everything Cookies and this recipe came up. I decided to simply re post the recipe instead of taking the time to re write it. I tried to post the link, but, was unable to do that.
So....... here's the recipe for The Everything Cookie from The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond:


Ingredients
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 whole eggs
4 heaping cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups prepared granola
1 heaping cup quick oats
1 1/2 cups apricots
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup golden raisins
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cream the butter and sugars. Add the vanilla and eggs. Next, add the flour, baking soda and salt. Add in the granola and oatmeal. Fold in the apricots, cherries, pecans and raisins.

With a cookie scoop or two spoons, drop onto cookie sheets and bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Cool on a rack. Eat, and feel unguilty because there's no chocolate in this cookie.

Crock Pot Tuscan Squash Stew

Tuscan Squash Stew:

3 TBS Vegetable Oil
1 Vidalia Onion, Diced
3 Garlic Cloves, sliced.
2 TBS Tomato Paste
1/4 tsp  Red Pepper Flakes
Water
2 C Dried Chick Peas, rinsed
1 Pound of Butternut Squash, peeled, cut into medium sized cubes.
1 Bunch of Swiss Chard. Remove the stems and cut them into pieces. Reserve the leaves (roughly chopped) to be added at the end of cooking.
1 Piece of Parmesan Cheese Rind plus Grated Fresh Parmesan Cheese for Garnish.
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste.
Crusty French Bread for serving.

In a large skillet on medium high heat:
Heat the Vegetable Oil.
Add:
Onion
Garlic
Cook until soft for 5 minutes.
Add:
Tomato Paste
Red Pepper Flakes
Cook for 1 minute.
Add  1/2 C Water.
Scraping any of the browned bits.
Transfer to a 6 quart slow cooker.

Add:
Chick Peas
Squash
Swiss Chard Stems only. (leaves will be added at the end)
Parmesan Cheese Rind.
Salt to taste.
Add: 7 C Water.
Stir and cover.
Cook on low for 8 hours.
Add the Swiss Chard Leaves and continue to cook, covered for 10 more minutes.
Season again, to taste with Salt and Pepper.
Stir.
Discard the Cheese Rind.
Serve in large soup bowls topped with Grated Parmesan Cheese.
Garnish with pieced of Crusty French Bread Slices.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Sautéed Onion and Garlic.

Add Tomato Paste!

Add Onions and Beans to the Crock Pot.

Add Squash and Swiss Chard stems.

At this point, it's covered and cooked on low
for 8 hours.

The Soup is done!

Cast Iron Skillet Apple Pie

Wow, I just saw this recipe on an episode of Trisha Yearwood's Southern Kitchen. I love cooking in Cast Iron and I love the simplicity of this great dessert. This is a great pie if you need a last minute dessert. Keep all of the ingredients on hand to make it on the spur of the moment.

Here's what you'll need:
1 - 9" Cast Iron Skillet
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

8 Tbs  (1 stick) Butter
1 C Brown Sugar
2 Pillsbury refrigerated Pie Crusts
1 - 21oz. Can of Apple Pie Filling
2 TBS Cinnamon Sugar, divided

In the skillet on medium high heat:
Melt the Butter.
Reserve 1 TBS of the melted Butter and set aside for brushing the crust.
Add:
Brown Sugar.
Heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Line the pan with one of the pie crusts.
Pinch and bunch the edges of the crust to make it look rustic.
Pour the Pie Filling into the crust.
Sprinkle with 1 TBS of the Cinnamon Sugar.
Cover with the second Pie Crust.
Pinch and bunch the edges of the Pie Crust to make it look rustic.
Brush the crust with the remaining melted butter.
Sprinkle with remaining 1 TBS of Cinnamon Sugar.
Cut vents in the center of the crust to vent it
Bake for 30 minutes.
Serve warm.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Pecan Whiskey Bundt Cake

Wow, this cake is amazing. This recipe is adapted from a recipe in a vintage cookbook.
"In early America it was customary to serve pies and cakes with sauces rather than with frostings. This golden pound cake, dense with raisins and pecans, is especially good with Caramel Sauce." Recipe to follow.

Pecan Whiskey Cake:

Here's what you'll need:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
1 - 10 cup Bundt Pan, brushed well with Pan Release Mix. (equal parts of Crisco, Vegetable Oil, Flour) I start with 1 C of each, mixed well and refrigerated in a jar. I always have it available for all of my baking needs.

6 Eggs , room temperature, Place them in a bowl and pour hot tap water over them. Let them sit for several minutes to warm them.
16 TBS (2 sticks) Butter, softened
2 C granulated Sugar
3 1/2 C Cake Flour
4 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Nutmeg
1 C Bourbon
3 C Golden Raisins
4 C Pecan halves
1/2 C All Purpose Flour

In a Stand Mixer with a paddle attachment:
Butter
Sugar
Beat for 3 minutes.
Separate the Eggs, put the Whites in a bowl and add the yolks to the Mixer, two at a time. Beat well after each addition.

Sift together, on a large piece of waxed paper:
Cake Flour
Baking Powder
Salt
Nutmeg
Add to the Mixer alternately in three parts with the Bourbon, beating just until blended, after each addition.

In another Mixing bowl:
Raisins
Pecans
All Purpose Flour
Toss to coat well.
Fold, by hand, into the batter.

In another bowl, with an electric hand mixer:
Beat Egg Whites until stiff.
Fold half into the batter, by hand, with a spatula.
Fold in the other half until there are no streaks of white.

Pout the batter into the pan.
Bake for 1 1/4 hours, until a toothpick insertion into the center comes out clean.
Remove the pan from the oven to a rack to cool for 10 minutes.
Invert the cake onto the rack and cool completely.
Transfer to a serving platter.
Serve each piece with the Caramel Sauce on the side.

Caramel Sauce:
This yields 1 C.

8 Tbs (1 stick) Butter
1 C Brown Sugar
1/2 C Heavy Cream

In a Saucepan on low heat:
Cut the Butter into pieces and melt.
Stir in the Sugar and Cream with a wooden spoon and cook on low heat, stirring constantly, until everything is melted and blended well.
Whisk the Sauce to bring it all together smoothly.
Serve warm drizzled over individual pieces of the cake.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Dried Fruit and Nut Loaf

This is such an iconic Christmas recipe. It's filled with dried fruits and nuts. It's not overly sweet like other fruitcakes and fruit and nut loaves. And it's not drenched with Brandy. It's adapted from a recipe in Chefs Catalog.

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
1 - 9"X5" Loaf Pan, brushed with Pan Release Mix, line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper and brush it with Pan Release Mix. (Recipe to follow.)

3/4 C Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 C Brown Sugar
A combination of chopped nuts:
1 C Pecans
1 C Hazelnuts
1 C Almonds
A combination of chopped dried fruit:
1/2 C Dried Cranberries
1/2 C Dried Cherries
1/2 C Dried Dates
1/2 C Dried Figs
1/2 C Dried Pineapple
1/2 C Dried Apricots
3 Large Eggs
Seeds from 1 Vanilla Bean

In a large mixing bowl. sift together:
Flour
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Salt
Add:
Sugar
Fruit
Nuts
Mix well by hand to coat well.

In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer:
Eggs
Vanilla
Beat 5 minutes.
Add to Fruit and Nuts and stir by hand with a wooden spoon, just to combine well.

Pour batter into the pan.
Bake for 60 - 75 minutes, until golden brown and the sides begin to pull away from the pan. If it browns too much, cover with a piece of foil.
Remove the pan to a rack and cool for 15 minutes.
Invert the loaf on to the rack and cool completely.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Pumpkin Pecan Cake

One more Pumpkin recipe. I can't seem to get enough of them. It's that time of year to start making everything "Pumpkin".

This is a very easy cake recipe. It starts with a boxed White Cake Mix.

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
1 - 9"X13" baking pan brushed well with Pan Release Mix. (equal parts of Crisco, Vegetable Oil, Flour.) I start with 1 C of each, mixed well and refrigerated in a jar. I always have it available for all of my bang needs.

1 boxed White Cake Mix. (I only use Duncan Hines Cake Mixes) I learned this when I was a cake decorator, and I continue to only use them. You may have a favorite too.

1/2 C Canned Pumpkin
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Ground Ginger
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1 C Chopped Pecans

Icing:
4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 C Granulated Sugar
1/2 C Confectioner's Sugar
A Pinch of Salt
1 TBS Meringue Powder
1 C Heavy Cream


Cake Batter:
In a Stand Mixer with a Paddle Attachment, prepare the cake according to package directions.
Add:
Pumpkin
Pecans
Mix just until combined.
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 23 minutes.

Remove the pan to a rack and cool completely.
Make the Icing.

Icing:
In a medium bowl with a hand mixer:
Sugar
Cream Cheese
Beat until creamy and smooth.
Add:
Confectioner's Sugar
Salt
Meringue Powder
Heavy Cream
Continue beating until fluffy.

Spread evenly over the entire cake.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!