Butter Pecan Pastry Food

PECAN PALMIERS

Steps:

• Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 400 degrees F. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake on the upper rack until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes; let cool completely.
• Mix the butter and vanilla in a small bowl with a rubber spatula until smooth; set aside. Put the pecans, brown sugar, flour and salt in a mini food processor and pulse until finely ground. Spread the turbinado sugar on a work surface and top with the puff pastry. Press to coat the pastry in sugar, then flip the pastry and roll out into a 12-inch square.
• Spread the butter mixture almost to the edge of the pastry, then sprinkle with the pecan mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Using your hands, roll 1 side of the pastry into the center, then roll the opposite side into the center to meet. Trim the ends of the roll.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the dough crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Arrange about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Brush with the beaten egg. Bake until golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Carefully flip the cookies using a thin metal spatula, switch the pans and continue baking until the cookies are crisp and golden, 7 to 10 more minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.

BUTTER PECAN CAKE

Steps:

• Pour melted butter in a baking pan. Stir in pecans. Toast at 350° for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. , In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in vanilla and 1 cup toasted pecans. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 8-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. , Meanwhile, for frosting, cream butter and sugar. Add milk and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy. Add additional milk if needed. Stir in remaining toasted pecans. Spread between the layers and over the top and sides of the cake.

PECAN NUT CRUST

Steps:

• Stir together ground nuts, cinnamon, and sugar. Mix in melted butter.
• Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch, deep-dish style, pie pan. Chill the unbaked crust in the refrigerator for about 30 to 45 minutes.
• Place pie crust on a cookie sheet, and position on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. WATCH it carefully, as nut crusts burn easily; they DON'T have to turn black to taste burnt! Cool completely before filling.

THE BEST BUTTER PECAN CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the pecans: Preheat the oven to 350°.
• Put the 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of butter in a shallow baking pan with the chopped pecans and put the pan in the oven for 15- 20 minutes, stirring the pecans and melted butter every few minutes, until the fragrance is wonderfully toasty.
• Watch carefully near the end to avoid burning.
• Remove from pan and set aside.
• Grease and flour three 8 or 9-inch round layer cake pans.
• Prepare the cake: In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the 3/4 cup (1 1/2) sticks of butter.
• Beat in the 2 cups of sugar, creaming well.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Add the 2 teaspoons of vanilla to the milk.
• Beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds, alternating with the milk mixture.
• Fold in 1 1/3 cups of the butter-toasted pecans into the cake batter.
• Divide batter equally into the prepared pans.
• Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Cool and remove from pans.
• Prepare the frosting: Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat and stir in the flour.
• Stir until all of the flour has been moistened or at least colored a little by the butter.
• Stir in the milk just a little at a time, stirring constantly and incorporating all the milk each time before adding more, working to incorporate all the flour and avoid lumps.
• Continue until all the milk is in and the mixture is thickened and smooth.
• Transfer to the small bowl of an electric mixer, and beat to remove any lumps you missed.
• Cool completely.
• When the flour mixture is cool, beat in the teaspoon of vanilla, then the softened butter.
• Add the 1 cup of sugar, and beat 2 minutes at medium speed, until the mixture is fluffy and no graininess from sugar remains.
• Fold in the fat-free Cool Whip and the remaining 2/3 cup of butter-toasted pecans.
• Fill and frost the top of the cake.

BUTTER PECAN PIE SQUARES

Steps:

• Combine 1 1/4 cups flour and 1/3 cup sugar in a medium bowl; cut in 1/2 cup butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Press mixture evenly into a greased 9-inch square pan.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
• Combine next 7 ingredients, and beat well.
• Stir in pecans.
• Pour filling over prepared crust.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until firm.
• Let cool on a rack; cut into squares.

BUTTER-PECAN PIE

Steps:

• In a food processor, finely grind 1/2 cup pecans with the sugar. Add flour and butter; process until moist clumps form. With wet fingers, press crust evenly into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Freeze until firm, about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• With a fork, prick bottom of crust all over. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes (if crust puffs up, gently press down with the back of a spoon). Let cool completely.
• Spread ice cream evenly in cooled crust. Chop remaining 1/2 cup pecans; sprinkle on top. Freeze, covered loosely with plastic wrap, until firm, at least 6 hours and up to overnight.

RAISIN PECAN BUTTER TART

Steps:

• Instructions for making the Rich Pie Pastry. Firstl, put the dry ingredients together - flour, salt and baking powder in a big bowl. Mix the dry ingredients well with a whisk. Next, beat the egg in a measuring cup. Add vinegar and fill the measuring cup to the 3/4 cup mark with water. Add to the flour mixture and mix well. Finally, add in the shortening and mix with your hands until the dough comes together. The dough has to be chilled in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.This dough can also be frozen for later use.This dough recipe can be used to make pie, egg custard, chicken pot pie, etc. Roll out the pastry dough on a floured surface to 1/8 inches in thickness. Cut out the pastry using a 3 inches diameter cutting ring. Excess dough can be gathered together and roll out again. Line the muffin tins with the cut out pastry dough. The pastry dough should be evenly and gently pressed against the wall of the muffin tins.
• Instructions for making the Raisin Butter Tart. In a mixing bowl, mix together all the ingredients, i.e raisins, eggs, vanilla, brown sugar and melted butter.
• Fill the pastry dough with the raisin butter tart fillings to about 3/4 to the top of the muffin tins. Do not overfill as it will puff up during the baking process.Bake the raisin butter tarts in a preheated oven at 350F for 20-25 minutes. The tart is ready when the edges of the tart starts to brown.
• Drizzle a teaspoon of maple syrup (or pancake syrup) on each tart while it's still warm to add richness to it.Leave the tart in the muffin tins for 5 minutes and remove to cool on a rack.

VELVETY CHOCOLATE BUTTER PECAN PIE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt; cut in the butter and shortening until crumbly. Combine water, vinegar and vanilla. Gradually add to flour mixture, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight., Roll out pastry to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate; flute edges. Beat egg wash ingredients; brush over pastry., For filling, melt butter and chocolate in a microwave; stir until smooth. In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, molasses, vanilla and salt. Stir in chopped pecans and butter mixture. Pour into pastry. Arrange pecan halves over filling., Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover edges with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

CLASSIC BUTTER PIE PASTRY

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed., Shape dough into a disk for a single-crust pie; for a double-crust pie, divide dough in 2 with 1 piece slightly larger than the other. Shape into 2 disks. Wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight., On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 disk of dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. , For a single-crust pie: Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Fill or bake according to recipe directions., For a double-crust pie: Add filling to pie. Roll remaining dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle. Place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edge. Cut slits in top. Bake according to recipe directions.