Swedish Spiced Pecans

Swedish Spiced Pecans

 Great idea for Easter baskets other than candy.

12 oz. pecan halves
3 tbsp. salted butter...
1 egg white
½ cup white sugar
1 tsp. ground cardamom
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Slice butter into six small pieces and spread across baking sheet. Put in oven and preheat to 350º.

Beat egg white and sugar until thick and white and glossy (about six minutes with an electric mixer or two minutes with a Magic Bullet). Sprinkle in cardamom and cayenne pepper. Whip for a few seconds and then add pecans.

Tilt pan to coat completely with butter. Spread pecans across baking sheet. Bake at 350º, stirring every ten minutes for a total of 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Store in fridge for 1 month.

 

© Crackerberries 2014

Brown Rice Muffins

Brown Rice Muffins

Brown rice is supposed to be good for you, but if it’s plain it’s just so… blah!  There seems to always be a ton of leftover rice.  What to do with it?  Make muffins.  These are not a sweet muffin, so are a great addition to a bowl of soup or chowder.  They taste good plain or you could add jam or butter, depending on your sweet tooth.

1 cup skim milk

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 tsp maple flavoring

2 eggs

1½ cup cooked brown rice

2 cups whole wheat flour

¼ cup brown sugar

3 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp cinnamon

¼ cup chopped pecans

 Heat oven to 400°

Spray bottoms of 12 muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray.  Combine milk, oil, maple flavoring and eggs in medium bowl and mix well.  Stir in rice.  Add flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy).  Fold in pecans. 

Divide evenly amongst muffin tins.  Bake 18-20 minutes until golden brown.  Immediately remove from pans. 

© Crackerberries 2013

Roasted Pecans

Spicy Pecans

6 tbsp butter

2 egg whites

1 tbsp sugar

¼ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom

3 cups pecan halves

Line baking sheet with foil; preheat oven to 325°.

In medium bowl, beat egg whites until frothy.  Stir in sugar, salt and spices and mix until well combined.  Toss pecans in mixture. 

Spread in even layer on pan.  Bake 25-30 minutes, gently stirring once half way through, until golden brown, and nuts appear dry. 

Let cool completely and store in air tight container.

© Crackerberries 2013

Crunchy Cole Slaw

Crunchy

Cole Slaw

¹/₃ cup vegetable oil

1 3 oz package Ramen noodles

½ tsp garlic salt

4 cups shredded cabbage

1-2 finely diced carrots

½ cup chopped pecans

In small sauce pan heat oil and whisk in flavor packet from noodles and garlic salt; heat 2-3 minutes until well blended.

In large bowl crush Ramen noodles, add cabbage and carrot and mix well.  Pour hot oil over top and toss to combine.  Sprinkle with pecans and serve immediately or cover and store in fridge until ready to serve.


© Crackerberries 2012

Sweet Potato Soufflé

It is week #2 for sweet potato recipes.  If you have one that you would like to share, email it to me and I'll be sure to post it for everyone to try.  A real southern belle shared this recipe with me.  Hope Hall from Lexington, South Carolina, this one is a definite keeper in our house; easy and tasty.

3 cups cooked sweet potatoes

1 cup sugar

½ tsp salt

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

½ cup milk

1/3 cup margarine

Mix ingredients together and put in lightly greased casserole dish.

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup softened butter

Combine ingredients together until crumbly and sprinkle over potatoes.  Bake at 350º for 35 minutes.  Serve as side dish or dessert or I even had some for breakfast.  It is 'wicked' good.

© Crackerberries 2011

Butter Pecan Cookies

1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese

1 cup butter flavored Crisco

2 cups sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1½ cup chopped pecans

Cream together cream cheese, Crisco and shortening until fluffy; add vanilla.  Combine flour, salt and baking powder together and add to creamed mixture.  Fold in nuts.  Drop by spoonfuls on baking sheet and cook 350º for 15 minutes or until edges start to brown.  Let cool on cookie sheet one minute then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

© Crackerberries 2011

Pecan Fig Tarts

½ cup fig mincemeat preserves

½ cup plum conserves

1 cup chopped pecans

¼ cup flour

¼ cup honey

2 Tbsp molasses

2 Tbsp butter

1 single pie crust

Preheat oven 375º

Combine fig mincemeat and plum conserves together in small bowl.  In microwave safe dish combine butter, honey and molasses; heat until butter melts.  Add flour and pecan and mix well.

Cut pie crust into 12 portions using large cup or cookie cutter.  Gently lay in muffin tins so that crust just comes to the top.  Divide preserve/conserve mixture up amongst the tins, cover with pecan mixture. 

Bake 375º 15-20 minutes until top is puffy and slightly browned.  Best served cold.

© Crackerberries 2011

Captain Morgan's Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

1 9-inch pie crust, pressed into 9-inch pie plate, do not bake.

Filling

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup light corn syrup

¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

1 tbsp. Captain Morgan’s spiced rum

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. salt

1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°

Filling: Combine eggs, corn syrup, sugars, melted butter, rum, vanilla & salt in large bowl. Blend well. Stir in pecans and mix well. Spoon into unbaked pie crust and bake for 15 minutes at 350°; remove from oven and cover pie crust edges with tin foil to prevent overbrowning. Return to oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Topping:

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 tbsp. butter or margarine

3 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. Captain Morgan’s spiced rum

1 ½ cups pecan halves

 

Combine brown sugar, margarine, honey and rum in sauce pan; cook for about 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Add pecan halves. Stir until coated; spoon over pie. Bake 20 minutes until topping is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Cool to room temperature before serving. Refrigerate leftover.

 

 

 

© Crackerberries 2011

Dug's Super Spicy Honey Roasted Peanuts

16 oz raw peanuts
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup honey
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp vanilla
1tsp kosher salt, plus some
¼ cup sugar





Preheat oven to 325º. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray generously with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine butter, honey, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla in sauce pan (or microwaveable dish) and heat until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Add peanuts and stir until well combined. Spread mixture on cookie sheet.

Bake peanuts for 35 minutes, stirring every 7 minutes. Make sure to stir the ones on the outside to the inside because they will get crispier faster. Remove from oven final time and stir to distribute sauce evenly.

Sprinkle with sugar and a little more kosher salt. Once they have cooled a few minutes place on parchment paper on counter to cool completely. You will have to stir and break apart clumps; store in air tight container at room temperature.


© Crackerberries 2011

Sweetheart Cake

I have to share the story behind this wonderfully, devine creation. I asked my husband what his favorite kind of cake was and he replied, "Cherry Pie". Hmmm, I thought to myself, never heard of that. Little did I know, he really meant Cherry Pie. So I thought I would really surprise him one day...and this is a winner in our house. Everytime I make it, it comes out better. Hope you like it too.



2 cups flour
1½ sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ cup milk
½ cup cherry juice
½ Crisco
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 egg whites
1 can cherry pie filling
Cherries and Pecan halves (optional)



Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, cherry juice and shortening in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Add egg whites and vanilla and beat on high for 3 minutes. Pour into two greased and floured 9 inch round baking pans. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Let cool on racks for 5 minutes and then remove from pans and cool completely. Once cooled slice each cake through the middle. Top bottom half with half of the can of cherry pie filling, then add top of cake, spread with frosting, add next bottom and top with cherry pie filling, then add top and frost whole cake. Decorate with cherries and pecans if desired.

FROSTING

¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup cream cheese
½ cup Crisco
1 Tbsp vanilla
4½ cups confectioner’s sugar
3 Tbsp (more or less) half + half

Combine all ingredients except half and half in large mixing bowl and beat well. Add half & half for spreading consistency; store in refrigerator.


© Crackerberries 2011

Mimi Hill's Maraschino Party Cake

Okay, me following Mimi’s recipe was not the easiest thing in the world. My Mom loves this cake I think because her mom had her crack the walnuts. I cheated and bought the already shelled ones. Here you take a look at the original recipe. I would have called my Mimi up if she was still alive. I think it came out pretty good, considering what I had to work with.


1¼ cup sugar
½ cup shortening
½ tsp salt
2 eggs
½ cup cherry juice
¼ cup milk
1 tsp lemon juice
½ cup or more chopped cherries
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 cups flour
2½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp almond flavoring

Cream the sugar and shortening together. Add eggs to shortening mixture. Combine milk, cherry juice, lemon juice and almond flavoring in large measuring cup. Combine flour, baking powder and salt together in separate bowl. Alternate adding flour and milk mixture to creamed sugar until well combined. Fold in cherries and walnuts. Spread into greased and floured baking pan. Bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Use creamy white frosting and top with cherries and walnuts for garnish.


© Crackerberries 2009

Hallelujah Muffins

Yesterday brought our evangelism training classes to an end. The big question of the day was, “Do you know what God’s will for your life is?” At first I was putting too much thought into it. Does He want me to write? Does He want me to cook? Does He want me to open a Bed & Breakfast? What does He want me to do? Once I stopped analyzing everything I’ve done in the past, everything I’m doing now, and everything I’d like to do in the future, the answer came to me and it was actually pretty simple. He has the same will for my life that He has for all of our lives. “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” What we do with our lives isn’t as important as how we do what we do with our lives. Amen?

With that being said, here is the recipe of the day.

Hallelujah Muffins

Preheat oven to 350º

2½ cups all purpose flour
1¼ cups sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
¾ cup applesauce
½ cup vegetable oil
1Tbsp vanilla
2 cups shredded carrot
1 medium apple, peeled and diced
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
½ cup flaked coconut
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped pecans

In large bowl combine the first five ingredients. In a smaller bowl, combine the eggs, applesauce, oil and vanilla; mix well and combine with the dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened, (batter will be thick). Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups ¾ full. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes. Cool for five minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Makes 2 dozen.

© Crackerberries 2009