Pecan Pie Bars - Several Versions

Photo source:  Crazy For Crust

WOW . . . bite sized, great for snacks and an awesome addition for your appetizer table.  They look delicious!  Who doesn't love pecan pie?  Love them and several recipes are better than one!  Check them out!

VERSION 1

"Pecan Pie Bars incorporate all the elements of your typical classic pecan pie: a crunchy buttery shortbread crust, soft and creamy filling, and crunchy pecans. The shortbread crust is a game changer for pecan bars – plus pie bars are so much easier to serve than regular pie."  Comment from Crazy For Crust

Click here to go to the Crazy For Crust recipe page.

VERSION 2

Photo source:  Texas Roots and Boots

"There’s no more southern of a dessert than Pecan Pie, but I wanted to make something I could pack easily in lunches. The solution? Pecan Pie Bars. They were quick and easy and almost as good as the real thing."  Comment from Texas Roots and Boots

Click here to go to the Texas Roots and Boots recipe page.

Pecan Pie Dump Cake

 

Photo source:  Southern Living

"With a tender yellow cake base, buttery pecan filling, and a hint of spice, this pecan pie dump cake is a fall-inspired twist on a classic."  Comment from Southern Living

Judging by the number of "pecan pie" inspired desserts I post, I guess you could say it is one of my favorite pies since they really seem to catch my attention.  This dessert is semi-homemade since it uses a boxed cake mix, which is great if you have lots of desserts to make or if you are just in a hurry.  I'd love to try this one out, it sounds easy and delicious!

Click here to go to the Southern Living recipe page.

Pecan Cheesecake Pie

 

Photo source:  Southern Living

"This pecan cheesecake pie looks like a classic pecan pie at first glance, but cut in, and you'll find a layer of cheesecake that magically rests between a traditional, gooey pecan pie filling and crunchy pecan topping. Pecan pie may be "the South's most popular pie," but this version balances the rich sweetness of the original with its tangy cheesecake filling, and brings it all together with a buttery, flaky crust for an irresistible end to any meal. With only 15 minutes of prep time, you'll be making this pie all season long."  Comment from Southern Living

Pecan cheesecake pie looks beyond delicious.  This pie is genius.  I have no words!

Click here to go to the Southern Living recipe page.

Pecan Pie Muffins

These delicious pecan pie muffins would be awesome for breakfast!

Ingredients

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°. 

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. 

Stir together butter and next 2 ingredients; add to brown sugar mixture, and stir just until moistened. Coat 2 (12-cup) miniature muffin pans well with cooking spray. 

Place 1 tsp. finely chopped pecans in each muffin cup; spoon batter over pecans, filling almost to top. 

Place muffin pans on an aluminum foil-lined jelly-roll pan.

Bake at 425° for 10 to 12 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool on a wire rack 2 minutes. 

Run a knife around edge of each cup to loosen muffins, and remove from pans.

Southern Living 
NOVEMBER 2011

German Chocolate Pecan Pie

What a way to make a good thing better!

We will be making this pie for the holidays :)

ingredients
1 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 4 ounce stick plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 stick chilled and cut into small pieces

1/4 cup ice water

2 large eggs

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) pecan halves, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup sweetened flake coconut

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

directions
In a food processor, pulse the flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the chilled butter pieces and pulse until coarse crumbs form, about 5 seconds. Drizzle in the ice water and pulse just until the dough comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap; flatten to form a disk. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch round; transfer to a pie pan. Cut the excess dough to leave a 1/2-inch overhang. Using your fingers, roll the dough edge under and crimp. Prick the bottom of the pie shell with a fork; refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line the shell with foil and pie weights or dried beans; bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. In a heavy, medium saucepan, whisk together the remaining 5 tablespoons butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt with the brown sugar and corn syrup over medium heat until melted and smooth. Whisk the sugar mixture into the beaten eggs. Stir in the nuts and coconut.

Spread the chocolate chips in the pie shell. Pour in the filling and bake until set, about 25 minutes. Let the pie cool completely before slicing.

Tip

Keep a baking sheet in the freezer when you're rolling out dough. If the dough gets too soft to handle, just place the frozen baking sheet on top to firm it up again. 

When cooking sugar, use a heavy saucepan to prevent burning. 

To avoid messy oven spills, bake the pie on a rimmed baking sheet. 

Sprinkle chocolate chips on the bottom of the crust to create a gooey pie layer.

Source:  Rachael Ray Magazine

Four-Layer Pecan Pie

I would have never thought adding cream cheese

to a pecan pie recipe, but it sounds delicious!

Can't wait to make this pie :)

Ingredients

• 1 refrigerated rolled pie crust (from a 15-ounce package)
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ¹/2 cup sugar, divided
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1 ¹/4 cups chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Unroll pie crust and place in a 9-inch deep dish pie plate, pressing crust firmly into plate.
    
2. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 egg. Beat at low speed until smooth; set aside.
    
3. In another medium bowl, beat 3 eggs. Add remaining sugar, the corn syrup, and remaining vanilla; mix well.
    
4. Spread cream cheese mixture in pie crust. Sprinkle with pecans and slowly pour corn syrup mixture over pecans.
5. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until center is set. Let cool, then refrigerate 4 hours or until ready to serve.

Source:  Mr. Food

Pecan Pie Pockets

While I'm supposed to be focusing on healthy food recipes,

 watching the Food Network Channel lures me to the

 sinful stuff that I'm craving.

  Paula Deen always comes through with some new awesome

 treats to try out for those times you just gotta be bad with food.

Photo and recipe source:  The Food Network Website

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Flour, for dusting
• 1 premade pie crust
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• Confectioners' sugar

Directions

In a Dutch oven or deep fryer, heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter and eggs. Stir in the pecans, vanilla and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, unroll the pie crust. Cut out rounds using a 4 1/2-inch cutter. Re-roll the dough as needed. Repeat the procedure with the remaining dough. Place 1 pie crust round on a clean, flat surface. Lightly brush the edges of the crust with the beaten egg yolk. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of pecan mixture in the center of the round. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining rounds and pecan mixture.

Fry the pies in batches until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Lightly dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Caramel Pecan Pie

1 9-inch pie crust -- pre-baked for 12 minutes at 350
degrees

1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups pecans (toasted and chopped)

Combine sugars, butter, and honey in a heavy-bottom sauce pan; cook over medium heat, and stir only until melted. Heat until mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream and pecans (mixture will bubble slightly).

Pour into pre-baked pie shell and bake for approximately 30-35 minutes.
Cool.

Serves 6-8


Source: The Florida Department of Agriculture
http://www.fl-ag.com