Pecan Sandies

Camille Farias

Combine 1-1/2 c (6 oz) chopped pecans with 1-3/4 cubes (7/8 cup) butter, cut into chunks. Cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes on medium heat, or until mixture is nicely browned.
Drain butter into medium bowl. Set pecans aside.
Freeze the butter mixture, stirring once or twice, until firm but not hard (20 minutes).

Whisk together chilled brown butter, 1/2 c veg oil, 2-2/3 c flour, 1-1/4 cup powdered sugar until biscuit consistency. Add 1/2 of the pecans. Mix well.

In a seperate bowl, combine remaining pecans with 1 c brown sugar. mix well. Add 1 egg and 1 egg yolk, 1-1/2 tbsp water, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1-1/2 tsp vanilla, until very well mixed.

Stir into flour mixture until just mixed. Knead with your hands until very well mixed.
Divide in half. Lay out on wax paper and cover with wax paper. Roll to 1/4 inch thick and refrigerate until very firm.
Cut out with 2-1/2 inch rounds.

Bake at 350 for 10-14 minutes on greased cookie sheet, after pressing whole pecan halves onto top.
Let cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

*This is Luis's favorite cookie recipe. Hands down. I made it for him our first Christmas together.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

1 c butter or margerine, softened
1/3 c dulce de leche
3/4 c powdered sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 c flour
1/2 c finely chopped pecans
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375
Beat butter, sugar, dulce de leche, vanilla, and salt in large bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in flour; stir in morsels and nuts. Shape level tablespoonfuls of dough into 1-1/4 inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets. BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are set and lightly browned. Remove from oven. Sift powdered sugar over hot cookies on baking sheets. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes, remove to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar if desired. Store in airtight containers. Makes about 5 doz cookies.

Betty Crocker Divinity

2-2/3 c sugar,
2 c light corn syrup
1/2 c water
2 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c broken nuts (walnuts, pecans) optional

mix sugar, syrup, and water in pan and stir over low heat until dissolved. Then cook without stirring to hard boil (260 degrees)

pour into egg whites and add vanilla. Mix until dull and fold in nuts. Drop quickly from tip of buttered spoon or into buttere pan and cut into squares

Pecan Pie

Camille Farias

1 pie crust- unbaked
3 slightly beaten eggs
1/2 c corn syrup
1/2 c sweetened condensed milk
2/3 c brown sugar
1/3 c melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1-1/4 c pecan halves

Combine eggs, corn syrup, milk, sugar, butter, vanilla, & coconut extract. Mix Well
Stir in pecan halves. Pour into pie shell. Cover pie crust in aluminum foil to prevent over browning.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 20-25 minutes more until knife comes out clean.

Grand Prize Tin Roof Chocolate Pie

Carol Piermarini

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp butter
1 baked deep-dish 9-inch pastry shell
20 caramels
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 cups lightly salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup milk
1-1/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
15 large marshmallows
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Topping Ingredients
3 caramels
2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp butter
Whipped Cream
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup morsels and 1 tbsp. butter. Cook and stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Spread chocolate mixture around bottom and sides of teh baked pastry shell; refrigerate about 15 minutes or until chocolate is set.

2. In another small saucepan combine 20 caramels and the 1/3 cup heavy cream. Cook and stir over medium until the carmels are melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in the peanuts. Spoon peanut mixture into pie shell; cover and refrigerate while preparing chocolate mixture

3. For chocolate mixture; in a medium saucepan combine milk, 1-1/3 cups morsels and the marshmallows. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate and marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth. remove from heat; stir in vanilla; set aside until cool.

4. When chocolate mixture is cool, heat the 1 cup heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Spoon chocolate mixture over peanut layer in pie shell (will be full). Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours (or cover and refrigerate overnight).

5. Before serving, in a small saucepan, melt 3 caramels. 2 tbsp of heavy whipping cream and 1 tbsp of butter over low heat. Let cool slightly. Top each serving with caramel mixture, whipped cream, and remaining chocolate chips. Serve immediately.

Serves 10-12

Chocolate Chunk Pecan Pie

1 unbaked 9 inch deep dish pie shell
3 large eggs
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter or margerine, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Preheat to 350. Combine Eggs, corn syrup sugar, butter, and vanilla extract in medium bowl with a wire whisk. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle chunks over bottom of crust. Pour pecan mixture into pie shell. Bake for 50-55 minutes. If browning too quickly, cover with foil. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours, refrigerate until serving time.

Serves 8

Chocolate Turtle Pie

1 premade Graham Cracker Crust
3 eggs, beaten
1 can (14 oz) Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 Tbsp. butter or margerine
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3/4 milk chocolate chips (or semi-sweet)
Caramel Ice Cream Topping

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and butter. Stir in nuts and chips. Pour into pie crust
2. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool.
3. Best if served at room temperature with caramel topping. Refrigerate leftovers.

Honey Bun Cake

Betty Crocker

1 pkg butter recipe yellow cake mix
2 sticks butter, softened
4 eggs
1 container (8 oz) sour cream
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350. Generously grease bottom only of 9x13 pan. Remove 1/2 cup dry cake mix, reserve. Beat remaining dry cake mix, butter, eggs, and sour cream in large bowl on medium speed w minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Spread half of the batter in pan. Stir together reserved dry cake mix, brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter in pan. Carefully spread remaining batter evenly over pecan mixture. To make spreading easier, drop batter by dollops over pecan mixture then spread.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until deep golden brown and cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Stir powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until thin enough to drizzle, stirring in additional milk if necessary. Poke top of warm cake several times with fork. Spread over top of cake. Cool completely before serving. Store covered.

*My sister Emily and I made this cake one time just out of curiosity because we saw it on the back of a cake mix and we thought it sounded interesting. I was instantly hooked. You will be, too.

Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake

Preheat oven to 350
1/2 c butter
 4 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c water
2 c flour
2 c sugar
3 eggs
1 c buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda

Bring butter, cocoa, and water to boil. Add in flour sugar, eggs (one at a time, stirring well to prevent cooking), milk, soda, baking powder, and vanilla. Add together and blend well. Add buttermilk, cinnamon, soda. Grease and flour 9x13 baking pan. Pour in batter and bake 25 minutes.

Frosting:
1/2 c. butter
4 tbsp cocoa
6 tbsp milk
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb powdered sugar
1 c chopped nuts

Melt butter. Add cocoa, milk, salt, and vanilla.
Blend well and pour over powdered sugar, mixing until smooth. Add nuts.

Pour icing on cake while still hot.

*Aside from the Apple Walnut Cake this is my favorite cake recipe. My step-mom got it from a lady at church after she made it for a potluck and everyone devoured it. We made it often when I was a child, although we baked it in a jelly roll pan. I believe that is actually the traditional way of making it, but I don't have a jelly roll pan so I've always made it in a cake pan.

Chocolate Walnut Tart

1 refrigerated ready-to-use pie crust
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup salted butter
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
whipped cream for serving (optional)

1. place oven rack in lower third of oven. Heat to 350.
2. Unfold the pie crust. Roll up on a rolling pin to transfer. Unroll into 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Fold overhaning crust into pan; press crust against side of pan. (or do what I do and just dump the whole thing into a regular pie pan the best you can without tearing it to shreds). Sprinkle the chocolate and chopped walnuts evenly over the bottom of the pie crust.
3. Microwave the butter until melted. Beat in bowl with brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Pour evenly into crust.
4. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Transfer pan to wire rack. Let cool. Remove from pan (if you're using the fancy-pants pan with the removable bottom). Serve with whipped cream if desired.