Candied Pecans Pioneer Woman Food

JERRY'S SUGARED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with sides with aluminum foil. Pour the butter onto the lined sheet. In a large bowl, mix the egg whites, sugar and cinnamon. Add the pecan halves and toss until they are fully coated. Spread the pecans onto the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring the pecans every 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

BIG FESTIVE SALAD

Steps:

• For the candied nuts: In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, toast the pistachios and hazelnuts until fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar, salt, vanilla and 1 tablespoon water directly to the pan with the nuts and stir to coat them. Cook until the sugar has dissolved, about 1 additional minute. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow to cool, 12 to 15 minutes.
• For the dressing: Combine the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, salt and pepper in a mason jar. Secure the lid and shake to combine. Set aside.
• For the salad: Spread the arugula, kale and spinach over a large round platter, leaving space in the center of the platter (it should look like a holiday wreath). Top the greens with the radicchio. Arrange the mandarin segments over the greens. Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds, cranberries, blueberries and cooled candied nuts.
• Lastly, sprinkle with the Parmesan, creating the look of snow. Shake the dressing one more time and pour it into a serving bowl. Place the bowl in the center of the platter and serve.

SWEET POTATO PIE WITH CANDIED PECANS AND COCONUT

Steps:

• For the crust: Pulse the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor until combined. Add half of the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles fine cornmeal. Add the remaining butter and continue pulsing until no pieces are larger than peas. Add 2 tablespoons of the ice water and pulse until combined. Add just enough of the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water, a little at a time, and pulse until the dough just comes together and holds its shape when squeezed. Turn the dough out onto a large sheet of plastic wrap, gather into a disc and wrap well. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to an 11-inch circle and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp the edges and refrigerate the dough until chilled, about 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prick the bottom and sides of the crust several times with the tines of a fork. Fit a piece of aluminum foil over the crust and fill the foil with pie weights or dry beans. Bake until the edges of the crust are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the foil and weights, return the crust to the oven and continue to bake until the bottom of the crust is lightly golden and no longer shiny, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Cool completely.
• For the filling: While the crust cools, use a fork to prick the yams all over. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and roast with the oven still at 350 degrees F until very soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel and mash until very smooth; you should have about 2 cups. Transfer the mash to a medium bowl and add the cream, brown sugar, vanilla, allspice, ginger, salt and eggs. Whisk just until smooth. Gently tap the bottom of the bowl a few times to release any air bubbles.
• Pour the filling into the cooled crust and bake until the center of the pie is set and no longer shiny, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes; if the edges of the crust brown too quickly, cover them loosely with foil. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool.
• For the topping: Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat until melted. Stir in the brown sugar, vanilla and salt, stirring until the mixture starts to bubble. Stir in the pecans and cook until the nuts are toasted and have absorbed most of the buttery sugar mixture, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and gently stir in the coconut. Spoon over the pie and press gently to adhere to the filling. Let stand at least 20 minutes to cool. Serve the pie with whipped cream if desired.

CANDIED PECANS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and 3/4 cup water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, then add the pecans and cook until glossy, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to the prepared baking sheet and let cool.

CLASSIC CANDIED YAMS

Steps:

• Cut the sweet potatoes crosswise into 1-inch-thick rounds. Halve or quarter any extra-large pieces so that they are all similar in size.
• Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a small bowl. Add the sugar mixture to the Dutch oven and whisk until it forms a paste. Add the potatoes and stir well, spooning the sugar mixture over the potatoes to coat evenly.
• Cover and cook the potatoes, stirring occasionally and gently to avoid breaking them up, until they are just tender when pierced with the tip of a knife and the sauce resembles a thin syrup, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast until dark brown with a light scent of roasted nuts, about 8 minutes. Season the pecans with some salt while warm, let them cool completely and coarsely chop.
• Transfer the potatoes with their sauce to a large serving platter and sprinkle the pecans over the top.