Kentucky Christmas Pecans Recipes

KENTUCKY PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Combine syrup, sugar, salt, and melted butter or margarine. Slightly beat the eggs, and add to sugar mixture. Beat well, and pour into uncooked pie shell. Sprinkle pecans on top.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 to 60 minutes.

KENTUCKY PECAN PIE

Steps:

• In medium bowl, mix flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).
• Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.
• Heat oven to 375°F. With floured rolling pin, roll pastry into round 2 inches larger than upside-down 9-inch glass pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired.
• In large bowl, beat sugar, butter, corn syrup, bourbon, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the eggs with wire whisk or hand beater. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips. Pour into pastry-lined pie plate. Cover edge of pastry with 2- to 3-inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning.
• Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until set, removing foil for last 15 minutes of baking. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.

KENTUCKY PECAN BARS

Steps:

• For the crust: Adjust the oven rack to the bottom position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
• In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, salt and butter until the butter is pea-sized. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough begins to pull from the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a floured surface, gather together and pat into a rectangle. Roll the dough into an 1/8-inch-thick rectangle that measures about 13 by 15 inches. Trim the rough edges and ease the dough into the prepared pan, pressing it onto the bottom and about halfway up the sides (trim the dough more on the sides as needed). Prick the dough a couple times with a fork. Cover with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the dough starts to set up, about 15 minutes. Remove the weights and foil and continue to bake until the crust is just golden, about 5 minutes more. Let it cool completely.
• For the filling: Meanwhile, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and spread the pecans out on a baking sheet. Bake until toasted and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool and then coarsely chop.
• Bring a couple of inches of water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Put the white chocolate in a heat-safe bowl that sits comfortably in the saucepan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Spread it evenly on the crust and let it set up.
• Beat the honey and brown sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the eggs. Pour in the melted butter and continue to beat. Add the flour, bourbon, orange zest and vanilla. Sprinkle the pecans over the white chocolate and pour in the honey mixture.
• Bake until the top of the filling is golden brown and the center sets up, 30 to 40 minutes. Cover and put in the refrigerator until cool. When ready to serve, cut into 36 even bars.

KENTUCKY CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325F and grease and flour a 10" tube pan.
• Soak the nutmeg in the whiskey for ten minutes.
• Stir together pecans, raisins, and 1/4 cup flour; set aside.
• Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.
• Add eggs, one at a time until well incorporated.
• Fold in remaining 1 1/4 cups flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, soaked nutmeg and pecan/raisin mixture until well combined.
• Spoon into prepared pan.
• Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cake pulls away slightly from the edge of the pan.
• Let stand in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn out onto cooling rack for complete cooling.
• Store in an airtight container.