Date and Nut Cookies

Do you ever have a day when every single thing is just freaking agitating and it all just explodes into a meltdown? Today was one of those days. It was a long day of silent treatment and death glares at work. I rounded up the day by inexplicable and hysterical sobbing to the Glee finale. Then I sprawled on the basement floor and attempting to eat popcorn. Heads up, it's difficult.

To try to get rid of my nasty post-crying face, which is red and blotchy and disfigured, I made cookies. The cure to unreasonable mood swings and my family's uncomfortable attempts to understand why I'm crying on the floor. Cookies means a happy family. That should be in parenting books if it isn't already. 

Date and Nut Cookies

Adapted from Food Magazine

These are healthy cookies. It's a contradiction and I feel like a tool saying it but they are nonetheless. Perfect for attempting to slim down and look like Brooklyn Decker in a bikini! 

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 pound dates, pitted and roughly chopped (This came out to a scant 3 cups but I would recommend using 2 cups or a half pound) 

1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted and then roughly chopped
3 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon  

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper third and middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or butter them. In a bigger bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Throw in your dates and pecans and stir them around so they are coated in the flour mixture. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, lemon juice, salt and vanilla until combined. Then beat in 1/2 cup of the brown sugar until it is all nice and combined. Create a well in the flour mixture and add the sugar mixture. Mix it up until it is fully combined. In a tiny bowl, mix together the cinnamon and remaining two tablespoons of brown sugar. Scoop out heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, about an inch apart. Sprinkle them with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, switching the sheets halfway through, until they have golden edges. Move to a wire rack to cool completely. Chow down. Makes 4 dozen cookies. 

* I totally published this as Date and Nute Cookies. 

Nutella Coconut Caramel Pecan Bars

Canada is awesome. The one little problem is Thanksgiving. We get to celebrate way ahead of the States, all the way in early October. This gives us a few months to rest before the Christmas turkey rolls in. 

But the issue is the internet. Before food blogs came into my life, American Thanksgiving slipped by without me even knowing. Now the minute November strikes, I know something bad this way comes. Every food website becomes a turkey/potato/pie palooza.

Americans, this is my plea. Please stop making every-dang-thing you bake and cook look amazing. The drool has ruined my keyboard. Since there is nothing I can do about this, the only option is to give in and bake. And bake I did. This little number is like a pecan pie but one that likes to party with nutella and coconut on a shortbread dance floor. 

Nutella Coconut Caramel Pecan Bars

Adapted from my favourite shortbread and very loosely from beloved Buns in the oven

crust

2/3 cups flour

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/3 cup icing sugar

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

filling

1 egg

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup salted caramel or caramel sauce

2/3 cups sweetened flaked coconut

2/3 cups pecans toasted, some left whole and some halved

3/4 cup nutella

Preheat the oven to 300º. In a bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, icing sugar and salt. Set aside. In a larger bowl, beat the butter. Dump in half the flour mix and stir until almost combined. Add the rest of the flour mix and stir until just combined. Press the dough into a ungreased 8 x 8 inch pan*. Bake for 20 minutes, until it starting to look dry on the top but not golden or coloured. Meanwhile this is cooking, beat together the egg, brown sugar and caramel sauce. Fold in the coconut and pecans. Spread the nutella over the hot crust. I let it sit on the crust so it would loosen then I spread it around. Pour the pecan mixture over top of the nutella. Return the pan to the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the pecan mixture looks set. Remove from the oven. Immediately run a knife around the edges. Allow to cool completely then slice into squares and enjoy! Makes 12-16 squares. 

* My pan is boss. It is has a removable bottom. This is a life saver. Instead of having to panic about lifting things out of it or trying to get them from sticking, all I gotz to do it pop it out. If you do not possess this, perhaps line the pan with parchment paper to make your life a little easier. Or be a rebel, and do not do a thing. 

Maple Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

I like "this time I'm not leaving without you" being stuck in my head all day. I like when it's my turn to leave the wait room so the lady demanding texts "fo' fray" from her cell phone company is shut up. I like free apple juice from nice ladies, in a non-creepy way. I like changing life plans. I like Jeff Bridges. I like cookies.

My awesome Mum got us tickets to see Jeff, first name basis baby, and we manage to fight our way to the front. We really just walked up and sat down but the fight makes it seem as if my love knows no boundaries. It doesn't. Age is but a number and love is blind but in this case it needn't be blind as he is smokin'. 

These cookies may not be smokin' but they are everything (everything related to cookies - not men) that I like: maple, pecan, chocolate, very chewy, little bit of crisp exterior, brown sugar but no Jeff. He is awesome but not in a cookie. That's weird. These aren't, so go eat up some cookies and change some plans. That's all.

Maple Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Everybody Loves Sandwiches

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 large egg
1 tsp maple extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
3/4 cup toasted and roughly chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350º. In a large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, extract and maple syrup together. Add in the egg and combine until fluffy. Dump in the flour, baking soda and salt and stir until just blended before adding the chocolate chips and pecans and stirring again. Drop by tablespoon 2 inches apart onto a parchment or silpat covered cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are just golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Makes 24 cookies.

(Vegan) Caramel Rocky Road Bars

I am immobile. For the first time in two years I attempted the Grouse Grind. Along the way I told my brother he had four options. 1. I turn around, 2. I go in to cardiac arrest, 3. He pushes me off a cliff to end my misery or 4. I trek out into the forest to find a bear to maul me and I put myself out of misery. Did I mention that I hate hiking? 

By the end though it was as if my body was so numb with pain and rain that I felt like Rambo coming out of that forest. I told my brother he should have carried me around the corner with blood on his cheeks and a bandanna on his head to impress our Paps. He did not think this was a brilliant idea. Stupid logic always ruins great ideas. These bars were a great idea to devour post-hike-that-nearly-murdered-me. This photo looks like a chocolate caramel burial ground. And I mean that in the best possible way. These bars are so chewy and get way better two to three days later. But I unfortunately only had one square left that was hidden after three days so good luck with that.

(Vegan) Caramel Rocky Road Bars

Adapted from Alice Medrich

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp natural cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 cup cold water

1/4 cup vegetable/canola oil

1 tbsp distilled vinegar

2 tsp vanilla

6 ounces (dairy-free to be vegan) milk chocolate chips

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1/2 cup (vegan) quartered chewy caramels

15 marshmallows, quartered

Preheat oven to 350º. Line a 9 x 9 pan with foil and butter and flour it. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, soda and salt in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl combine the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Pour the liquid mix over the flour mix. Mix with a spatula until just smooth. Fold in half the chocolate, half the pecans and all the caramels. Scrape the batter into the pan evenly. Distribute the marshmallows over the top with the cut sides up. Press slightly into the bars. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate and nuts over top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the batter no longer jiggles when nudged. Cool on a rack. Lift the edges of the foil to transfer to a cutting board. Slide a metal spatula underneath the bars to remove the foil.  (I clearly did not do this. I just cut and devoured as I went.) Cut into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature. Keep in an airtight container for 3 days. Makes sixteen squares.

Maple Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

For the third time, this post has not saved. That means that it comes up blank or with a single sentence. I am about to drop kick this computer to Abbotsford. The dam world wide web is the devil's craft. There was a teacher at my high school who told us that the internet was demon work. I am starting to see where he was coming from. 

This should have been posted years ago. Not because the internet hasn't been working for years or that I made them years ago but because this combination is what my body runs on. Maple and pecans were born together. (This is an assumption, not a fact.) Thus they were reborn together in these cookies. Holla.

Maple Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted from Martha

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 teaspoon pure maple extract
2 3/4 ounces (1 cup) walnuts, coarsely chopped 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Have ready 2 baking sheets lined with parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk the oatmeal, coconut, flour, salt, and sugar. Set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and maple syrup. Heat until the butter is melted. Remove from heat, and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the baking soda with the boiling water. Immediately stir this mixture into the melted butter until combined. Add the maple extract; stir into the oat mixture. Fold in pecans. Form heaping tablespoon sized balls. Place about an inch and a half apart. They don't really spread. Flatten each of the balls slightly. Bake until golden brown and set, about 12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week. Makes about 2 dozen.

Overnight Baked French Toast

A while back I had a Mother's Day brunch. It went amazingly well. I live by this guide from smitten kitchen. She is the almighty master of brunch. On my list of things to make was: scones, muffins, cake, frittata, home fries, french toast, fruit salad and bacon. The scones and muffins were in the freezer, the french toast and salad were in the fridge, the cake was made the night before and the ingredients for both the frittata and the home fries were prepped. So come the day of all I had to do was throw everything into the oven and make the home fries and bacon. I was not stressed at all and even had time to read the paper, what up?!

The french toast recipe is brilliant. I probably love it so much because it is like a breakfast style bread pudding. I highly recommend this if you like bread pudding and eating.

Overnight Baked French Toast
Adapted from Epicurious

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
12 3/4-inch-thick French bread slices
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar 
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
2 tsp cinnamon + 3 tbsp sugar
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped 
 

Spread butter over bottom of heavy large baking pan with 1-inch-high sides.* Arrange bread slices in pan. Beat eggs, milk, sugar, syrup, vanilla and salt to blend in large bowl. Pour mixture over bread. Turn bread slices to coat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle the french toast with the cinnamon sugar mixture and sprinkle the pecans on top. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp on top. Serve warm and with maple syrup. Serves 8. 

* I baked mine last year in a large jelly pan and it was great so that each would be crisped up but this year I used two 8" x 8" pans. While it was nice to have it sit on the table, it is so much nicer in the large pan. They turn out that much better. But either way is good.

Top Pecan Recipes

..Thus far. Nearly every post recently has had pecans in it. But I can't bring myself to apologize because I truly love them. A little while ago I showed some peanut butter love and it is only fair to show off one of my other favourites. Here is a little snazzy list of some of my favourite pecan recipes.

1. The dough for these maple pecan slices is easily accessible when it sits in the fridge. God these were killer.

2. The coffee with the caramel and the pecans is just amazing in this cake. The caramel melts into the cake and cooks on top. Droool.

3. Hello Satan, we meet again. This itty bitty cup of caramel corn was all that was left from the original batch.. after one night. And the pecans aren't in this photo because I had eaten them all by this point. It's deadly.

4. I can not tell you how often I make these. Okay, once a week. There are normally some of these oatmeal chocolate pecan cookies baked or frozen on hand. When they run out, and they do because we eat them from the freezer too, I prepare another batch. An all time baller.. as in favourite.

5. Holy macaroni and cheese steaks, I have not had this bread in so long. My Mum makes this date and nut bread and it is one of the best quick breads, if you are into dates and pecans of course. 

6. Why are mini versions of basically anything cute? I swear that if someone tried to pull off a gap baby onesie you would give them the stink eye but oh no, mini style it is alright. Sorry, I'm bitter that onesies are not socially acceptable. But these pecan tassies are acceptable.. to eat by the dozen.

7. Another really recent recipe, these maple pecan bars were finished within a few hours. Maple and pecans were meant to be. 

8. The chewiness of these oatmeal cookies is unbelieveable. The dried cranberries, oats and brown sugar make them so chewy and the pecans are the perfect counterpart. Toasting is necessary.

 9. Making granola at home is awesome. You will feel accomplished, guaranteed.

9. Sure these were posted a few days ago but they need to be shown again. I can't explain these banana muffins perfectly but let's have a go at it. The crisp exterior is unlike anything I have had before. Yet they are so moist on the inside. Did I mention the chocolate on the inside and the pecans toasted on the outside. "Legen - wait for it - dary" as Barney would say.

Now go spread the pecan love!

Banana Pecan and Chocolate Muffins

"Do you have to put almonds on all of them?" 

My brothers are great but when it comes to baking, they do not know what is up. Once I had the batter ready to go in the muffin tins, the next step was to place the pecans on top. Now my brothers do not like pecans and any nut for that matter in baking. After all, I too only recently came around. The big one was rolling on by at said point and asked that question. Not to disrespect him but I burst out laughing and proceeded to call him a moron. It's what family does. But to pay him back I only put pecans on half. What a great sister.

Banana Pecan and Chocolate Muffins
Adapted from Ina's recipe

3 large verrrrry ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips

1/3 cup pecans, toasted

Preheat the oven to 350º. Butter 14 muffin cups, set aside. In a large bowl, mix the bananas, sugars and maple syrup until combined. Mix in the oil, eggs, sour cream and vanilla until fully combined. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add  to the banana mix until the flour and banana mixture is just combined. Fold in the milk chocolate chips. Fill the muffin tins until about 4/5 full. Top the muffins with three pecans, or as many as desired. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating halfway through or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the muffins in its pan for 5 minutes and then turn them out on a wire rack to cool further.. But I highly recommend eating them warm. Serves 14. 

Coffee Pecan Pie Cake

The title was very difficult to determine for a few reasons. If it had been named Pecan Pie Coffee Cake, one would assume that it is merely a coffee cake without actually coffee within the cake. One could also assume that perhaps I was writing about pecan pie and coffee cake. Had it been titled Coffee Pecan Cake then the pecan pie topping would not be given justice and the cake could be overlooked and ignored. The sheer horror I tell ya. 

After a long period of deliberation, the title was settled. Let me describe the cake: crunchy topping from the caramel and pecans with a super moist coffee cake spiked with pecans. Yeah, it's bad ass.

Coffee Pecan Pie Cake

cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tbsp instant coffee dissolved into 1 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
topping
2 tbsp butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup pecans, whole and halved
assembly
1/4 cup pecans, whole and halved

Preheat the oven to 350º. Butter an 8 x 8 inch pan, set aside. 
topping In a small saucepan, beat together the butter and sugar until combined. Beat in the egg. Blend in the milk. Place over medium to medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture is thick and smooth which is about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 
cake Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a large bowl beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs until fully combined. Mix the milk, coffee and vanilla together in a separate bowl. Add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle on the 1/4 cup pecans. Pour on the remaining batter. Fold the 3/4 cup of pecans into the topping now. Pour the topping on top of the cake. Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs. Allow the cake to cool slightly then slice and enjoy!  Serves 16.

Maple Pecan Bars

An Ode to Pecans by Me:

Pecans are amazing

I love them in baking

They're perfect for grazing

My heart they are shaking

I am not an English major, don't worry. The poem does not make complete sense but neither does love so take that. Sorry, pecans change me. The story of how these bars came into being: Mornings are not my thing. I'm known for being silent and ready to kill during the first two hours post wake-up. During this anger period one morning, I calmed myself by baking these babies. Baking makes me happy.. unless it goes wrong then all beware my wrath.

Since pecans are one my favourite things, it was the natural choice to brighten my day. I was completely surprised when my little cousin loved these. For some reason it is my belief that all children hate nuts. I did, my baby broha still does and even my big brother too. Limited references granted but it still surprises me. Anyways, if you love pecans these are for you. There are pecans in the crust and halves and whole pecans on top. That's right.

Maple Pecan Bars
Adapted from an old Pillsbury recipe

crust
1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
topping
2 eggs
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
3 tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp maple (or vanilla, depending on your preference) extract
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup pecans, halved and whole

crust Preheat the oven to 350º. Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan. Sift together the flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl beat together the butter and brown sugar. Add the flour mix and combine until it is like fine sand. Use your hands to get it all together. Toss in the pecans. Press into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 8 minutes.

topping While the crust bakes, whisk the eggs until foamy. Add the maple syrup, brown sugar, flour, vanilla and salt until combined. Stir in the pecans. Pour over the hot crust. Bake for 25 minutes, it will set once it is completely cooled. Makes 24 bars.

Caramel Corn

Everyday I eat popcorn. This is not a lie. It is something that has grown out of habit I assume. It started this past year or so and it has escalated. But corn is a vegetable, do not argue me on this, and it provides fibre and all things nutritious. One can not fight science. While popcorn is a daily occurrence this drug is not. 

Notes on the photo: There are no pecans because I picked them all out and ate them by this point. This is also the remainder of what was left after that night. We basically ate the entire batch between the two of us in one night. My pants are tight right now.

My friend Saliva (burn.) comes over at least twice a week so we can get out Daws on. We realize the pun and it's awesome. She brought some maple corn the other day to spark up our regular popcorn routine and because we are that Canadian. It was get-down-on-your-knees-and-tell-me-you-love-me good. Come two days later, we were in the kitchen with this a'brewing. All credit goes to her though because she was the one who sat in lecture reading the thousand plus reviews and recommendations on this five star recipe on allrecipes. It is why we are friends.  

Caramel Corn
Recipe adapted from Allrecipes

3/4 cup butter
2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 quarts popped popcorn (3 regular size bags of popped smartpop)

2 cups pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (95 degrees C). Place popcorn and pecans in a very large bowl.* In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla. Pour in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat.** Place in two large shallow baking dishes lined with tin foil and bake in preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces.

* We had to use two huge bowls and it was still flying out of the bowl. Be prepared with two huge bowls.

** Don't worry if the popcorn is not completely coated. Once it bakes and you toss it every 15 minutes, it coats and spreads much better.

Salted Chewy Brownies

Have I mentioned I like salt? Seriously, it is dangerous. Granted putting salt on desserts is the hip thing right now but it doesn't make it any less valuable! It simply proves how awesome it is. That is why I always use kosher salt in baking (except below) because you can actually taste it. 

These were great. Chewy but not raw fudgy. Nor were they cakey and dry. They are great but so is everything that comes from The Test Kitchen. Ugh. This isn't related to brownies but if you watch Dawson's Creek, read on. Pacey Witter is love. Joey and him should get married and have lots of babies. And Dawson should go jump off a cliff. Season four better turn things around.  

Salted Chewy Brownies

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Magazine March & April 2010

1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
2 tsp instant coffee
heaping 1/2 cup boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, very finely chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp canola oil
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla 
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp table salt*
1 1/2 cup milk chocolate, roughly chopped 
1 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped (optional)
1 tsp fleur de sel

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350º. Line a 9" x 13" baking pan with foil with an overhang so the brownies can be lifted from the pan. Coat with non-stick spray. Whisk cocoa, instant coffee and boiling water together in a large bowl until smooth. Add the unsweetened chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in butter and oil. (Mixture may look curdled.) Add eggs, yolks and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth and combined. Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated. Add flour and salt and mix in with a rubber spatula until combined. Fold in chocolate and pecans (if using). Scrape batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle the fleur de sel over top. Use all of it, if not more than 1 tsp. Bake until toothpick inserted halfway between the edge and center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. ** Transfer pan to wire rack and cool 1 1/2 hours. *** Using foil overhang, life brownies from pan. Return to wire rack and let cool completely, about an hour. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

* It killed me not to use kosher and I don't think the table salt made a difference. Kosher would work as well.

** My brownies were finished after 28 minutes.

*** If the brownies were baked in a glass pan, remove them from the pan after 10 minutes and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack. Glass pans with continue to cook the brownies if they stay in the pan.

Pecan Tassies

Christmas is almost here! I am so excited. But I am also sorry for missing the past two Fridays of the Christmas cookies. Things are crazy here, as they are everywhere I am sure. My first final is on Sunday (who knew they could be so evil as to put in on Sunday), then Tuesday and finally the 18th which is a Saturday. But as much as I am panicking over finals, everything Christmas is in my mind. 

Every Christmas I make up boxes of baked goods. I normally put in a variety to give options. This year these babies are going in for 'nut' segment of the box. If you do not like pecans/pecan pie, this is not for you. If you do, like I recently discover I do, love it then meet heaven. This recipe is great because you can really taste the pecans, more so than in pecan pie. And they actually don't take that long to make.

Pecan Tassies

Adapted from Martha Stewart
 

dough

1/2 cup pecans, toasted
1/2 cup (4 ounces) cream cheese
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of kosher salt

filling 

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 large egg
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350º. Process pecans in a food processor until finely ground (you should have about 1/3 cup); set aside. Beat the cream cheese and butter together. Add flour, ground pecans, and salt; mix just until dough comes together. Roll dough into twenty two (approximately) 1-inch balls, and press into bottoms and up sides of cups of mini-muffin tins.* Put approximately a teaspoon in the each muffin cup. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, butter, and salt in a small bowl. Stir in pecans. Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons filling, basically until they are just filled, into each muffin cup. Bake pecan tassies until crust begins to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely in tins on wire rack. Unmold. Pecan tassies can be stored in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days.

* They pop right out of the tins surprisingly. I was worried they would stick but apparently not.  

Maple Pecan Slices

Oh yum. How very Canadian of me, eh? Just hit my pun quota. As a chewy cookie lover, there are a few exceptions. These are one of them. It is similar to a shortbread texture but with a crunch from the pecans and a softness from the glaze. They are the perfect little tea cookies. I just jumped on the tea train, the chai train that is. But lady gray is nice too. Enough about tea, back to cookies.

Maple Pecan Slices

Adapted from Everyday Food

cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 egg yolk

1 tsp maple extract

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup pecan halves toasted then finely chopped*

glaze

1 cup maple syrup

fleur de sel

cookies Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the maple syrup, yolk and extract until fully combined. Mix in the flour and salt slowly. It will be pretty stiff. Stir in the pecan pieces. Divide the dough in two pieces. On a clean surface roll the dough into a 1 1/2 inch rope. Wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350º. Taking one of the rolls, slice it into approximately 1/4 inch slices. They won't spread during baking. Bake for ten minutes, transferring sheets halfway through, until they are golden on the edges. They will set afterward a bit. Let them cool for about 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

glaze In a small saucepan, simmer the maple syrup until it is about 3/4 cup which takes about 8 minutes or so. It should be quite a bit thicker. However, I would recommend doing this in smaller batches because it crystallizes after about ten minutes. So do the glaze in 1/4 cup batches. Glaze the cookies with about 1/2 tsp or so. Sprinkle with fleur de sel. Enjoy!

Pecan Pie

This is from a while ago and it is a shitty photo. It was just before Thanksgiving dinner and I needed to take a photo really quick without letting the cat outside and various other factors. But here is my first pecan pie:

Yeah it got a little burned. With everything going on it sort of got lost. But it was mine! It was another one from Dorie and it worked out as opposed to the other one. However, it still wasn't as good as my Mum's. I will one day be able to make one as good as hers, hopefully.

Pecan Pie
From Baking From My Home to Yours

3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (about 7 ounces) pecan halves or pieces
pie crust for a 9" pie

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. In a large bowl, whisk the corn syrup and brown sugar together until smooth.. Whisk in the melted butter, then add the eggs one at a time, beating until you have a smooth, foamy mixture. Add the espresso powder, vanilla, cinnamon and salt and give the batter a good mix. Rap the bowl against the counter a couple of times to pop any bubbles that might have formed, then stir in the pecans and chocolate. Turn the filling into the crust. Bake the pie for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make a foil shield for the crust by cutting a 9-inch circle out of the center of an 11-or 12-inch square of aluminum foil. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Place the foil shield on top of the pie—the filling will be exposed, the crust covered by the foil. Bake the pie for another 15 to 20 minutes (total baking time is 30 to 35 minutes), or until it has puffed (the middle and the edges should be fairly evenly puffed), is beautifully browned and no longer jiggles when tapped. Transfer the pie plate to a rack, remove the shield and cool to room temperature.  

Suggestion's from the book:

Serving: Pecan pie is good at any temperature, and different at each one. It’s softest and most puddingish eaten warm (about 45 minutes out of the oven), most flavorful eaten at room temperature and most candy-like when it is chilled. At any temperature, it’s good with ice cream—vanilla, chocolate or coffee would be my choices.  

Storing: Once cooled to room temperature, the pie can be covered and refrigerated for 1 day. 

Oatmeal Chocolate Pecan Cookies

These are good cookies. Plain and simple, no better way to put then good. My family devoured them which is normal but everyone said they were amazing. I baked twenty four and froze the rest but I think I may have to bake them tonight. Or right now.

When I saw this on Baked Bree, one of my favourites!, she mentioned the odd ratios. I took a look and sure enough it did seem odd. I was expecting a very crisp cookie because of such a small amount of butter but it was not at all! It is perfect. Enough raving, here is the recipe. 

Oatmeal Chocolate Pecan Cookies
Adapted from Baked Bree

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cups old fashioned oats, definitely not quick cooking
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup toasted*, chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350º. Beat together the butter and brown sugar until combined. It won't be light and fluffy because of the small amount of butter. Add the eggs one at a time till fully combined and add the vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, and oats. It will be pretty thick. Stir in the chocolate and pecans. On parchment line baking sheets, drop scoops of the cookies. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden. Leave on the sheets to set a bit then move to a wire rack. Makes 51 cookies.

* I can not stress enough the importance of toasting. It is necessary and so good.