April 2021 – Nuts

Pecan Pie

Elsie Reiff, Ephrata

• 1 stick butter or margarine
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups pecans
• prepared pie crust

Cream together butter and sugar. Add corn syrup and eggs; mix well. Add vanilla and pecans. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.

 

Pecan Pie Brownies

Gloria Dougherty, Akron

• ½ cup + 1 tablespoon butter
• 18.25 oz. package devil’s food cake mix
• ½ cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup dark corn syrup
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 13”x9” baking pan with foil, leaving 2” overhang; coat with cooking spray.

Melt 1/2 cup butter. On medium speed, beat cake mix, melted butter, 1/2 cup flour and 1 egg until dough forms; press into pan. Bake 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.

In microwave-safe bowl, microwave remaining 1 tablespoon butter on high in 5-second intervals until melted. Stir in corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla and remaining egg and flour, then chopped pecans. Pour over brownie; top with pecan halves. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until center is set. Cool 20 minutes. Using foil, lift out to rack. Cool completely.

 

Pecan Tarts

Mary Ann King, Leola

Pastry

• 6 oz. cream cheese
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups flour

Cut butter and cream cheese into flour. Stir with a fork and press into a ball. Tear off pieces of dough and press into tart pans.

Filling

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 cups chopped pecans

Mix all ingredients and spoon filling into pastry-lined tart pans.

Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes until brown and filling is set.

Be indulgent and add a small scoop of butter pecan ice cream!

 

Almond Cheese Ball

Mary Ann King, Leola

• (2) 8 oz. packages cream cheese
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped pimento
• 1 tablespoon chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped red pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• finely chopped almonds

Combine softened cream cheese and cheddar cheese; mix until well-blended. Add pimento, onion, red pepper, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and chill. Shape into a ball and roll in finely chopped almonds, or any nut of choice.

 

Pecan Sticky Muffins

Mary Ann King, Leola

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup oil
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

• ¼ cup butter, melted
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Beat eggs, milk, oil, 1/2 cup brown sugar and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients until moistened.

Into a greased muffin tin, spoon 1 teaspoon butter, 1 teaspoon brown sugar and 1 heaping tablespoon of pecans into each cup. Top each cup with 1/4 cup batter. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes.

Invert muffin tin on piece of foil for 5 minutes. Remove pan and enjoy.

Yield: 12 muffins

Note: Ground pecans can also be added into the batter.

 

Candied Nuts

Brittany Good, Reinholds

“Dangerously addictive. Perfect for gift giving!”

• 4 cups mixed nuts, unsalted
• 1 egg white, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon water
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 300°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together egg white, vanilla and water. Add nuts and toss to coat. Add sugars, salt and cinnamon. Toss to coat evenly. Spread, in a single layer, onto a parchment lined jelly roll pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the nuts appear dry. Cool completely, break into clusters, and store in an airtight container.

 

Pecan Tarts

Jeffrey Fisher, Stevens

Shells

• ½ cup butter
• 3 oz. cream cheese
• 1 cup flour

Filling

• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 cup pecans, chopped

Combine shell ingredients. Roll down into inch balls and press around the edges of mini muffin pans.

Mix all filling ingredients. Once pecan mixture is completely combined, pour into mini muffin pans and fill to the top.

Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Let cool before eating.

 

Fudge Nut Bars

Janice Martin, East Earl

• 1½ cups butter, softened
• 3 cups brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 4 teaspoons vanilla
• 3½ cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 6 cups rolled oats

Cream together butter and sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Add rest of ingredients and mix well.

Press lightly in a 12”x17” pan, reserving 1 cup of dough for crumbs on top.

Fudge Nut Filling:

• 12 oz. chocolate chips
• 1 can Eagle brand milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Melt everything together and spread over bars. Sprinkle with 1 cup dough crumbs.

Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until done.

 

Walnut Frosties

Janice Martin, East Earl

• 2 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• ½ cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup sour cream

Cream butter and sugar till light. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make a depression in center of each cookie. Place topping in depression. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes.

 

Maple Walnut Fudge

Dean Putt, Lititz

• 1¾ cups sugar
• 5 oz. can evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1½ cups white chips
• 22 marshmallows
• 1 teaspoon maple extract

In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, combine sugar, butter and milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat; immediately add marshmallows and white chips. Stir until white chips and marshmallows are melted. Stir in maple extract and walnuts.

Pour into buttered 9”x9”x2” pan. Cool; cut into squares.

 

Sweet Potato Supreme

Pat Roth, Ephrata

• 3 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes (without butter or milk)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ stick margarine, melted
• ½ cup milk
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix the sweet potatoes, eggs, sugar, salt, margarine, milk and vanilla in a 1½ quart casserole sprayed with Pam.

Topping:

• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• ¹/₃ stick margarine, melted

Mix sugar, flour, pecans and margarine for the topping. Spread over the top of the casserole. Bake in a 350°F oven for 35 minutes.

Serves about 4.

 

Butter Pecan Cheesecake

Pat Roth, Ephrata

“This recipe was in a magazine I received last month. I made it and everyone loved it. Delicious!”

• 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• ½ cup finely chopped pecans
• ¹/₃ cup sugar
• ¹/₃ cup butter, melted

Filling:

• (3) 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
• 1½ cups sugar
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon butter flavoring
• 3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted

Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, pecans, sugar and butter. Set aside 1/3 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture onto the bottom and 1” up the sides of a greased 9” springform pan. Place springform pan in a double thickness of heavy duty foil (18” square). Securely wrap foil around pan.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar just until smooth. Beat in sour cream, vanilla and butter flavoring. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Fold in pecans. Pour into crust, sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1” hot water to larger pan. Bake for 70 to 80 minutes until center is almost set. Remove from water bath to wire rack to cool. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen. Refrigerate overnight, covered.

 

Spiced Applesauce Pecan Bread

Pat Roth, Ephrata

• 1¼ cups applesauce
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup salad oil
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ¾ cup chopped pecans, divided
• ¼ cup brown sugar

Thoroughly combine the applesauce, sugar, oil, eggs and milk. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and allspice. Stir this into the applesauce mixture and beat well. Fold in 1/2 cup of the pecans. Turn in to a well-greased 9”x5”x3” loaf pan.

For the topping, combine the rest of the pecans, brown sugar and remaining cinnamon. Sprinkle over the batter.

Bake at 350°F for 1 hour. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack.