Pecan Pumpkin Bread Stuffing With Candied Bacon Food

PUMPKIN PECAN LOAVES

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, oil, eggs and water; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until combined; fold in the pecans. , Spoon into 2 greased 9x5-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. , For glaze, combine the butter, sugar, brown sugar and cream in a saucepan. Cook until sugar is dissolved. Cool for 20 minutes. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cooled loaves.

PECAN CANDIED BACON BITES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and top it with a baking rack. Arrange the bacon in 1layer on top of the rack.
• Mix together the pecans, and brown sugar with a good grinding of pepper in a small bowl. Evenly sprinkle the mixture over the bacon. Put the bacon into the oven and bake until the sugar is melted and the bacon is crisp, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly until crisp.
• While the bacon is cooking, toast the rye bread and cut each slice into quarters. In a small bowl mix together the cream cheese and Worcestershire sauce. To serve, spread the toast with the cream cheese mixture and top with 1 or 2 pieces of bacon cut to fit the bread. Garnish with chopped chives and serve.

STICKY PECAN PULL-APART BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 9-by-5-inch glass loaf pan with cooking spray. Mix together the sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl.
• Unroll the dough from each can and stack them on top of each other to make a double layer of dough. Press them together and roll the dough into a 12-inch square. Spread 4 tablespoons of the caramel evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the spiced sugar over the caramel, then sprinkle the pecans in an even layer, gently pressing them into the dough. Cut the dough into 16 small squares. Stack 4 of the squares on top of each other and repeat so you have 4 stacks of 4. Place each stack on its side in the prepared loaf pan (it should look like a row of books). Gently separate the dough layers so the dough fills up the pan. Sprinkle any pecan mixture that fell out over top of the dough.
• Cover the loaf pan with foil and bake until golden brown and puffed, about 50 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
• Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons caramel sauce before serving.

HERBED PECAN STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225°. Place bread cubes in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until partially dried, tossing occasionally, 30-40 minutes. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 325°., Meanwhile, combine raisins and apple juice in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; let stand for 15 minutes. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add celery, onion and garlic; cook and stir until tender, 5-7 minutes. Stir in parsley, salt, sage, thyme, fennel seeds and pepper; remove from the heat. Beat egg and broth; add to vegetable mixture with bread cubes and raisin mixture. Toss well. Stir in pecans. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. , Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake until lightly browned, 15-20 minutes longer.

MAPLE PECAN STICKY BUN BISCUITS WITH CANDIED BACON

Steps:

• Position racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Line another baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• For the biscuit dough: Whisk the 5 cups flour with the baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter cubes and toss until each cube is fully coated in the flour. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until it's about the size of peas.
• Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Stir until just incorporated; do not overmix. Use a bench scraper or spatula to divide the dough in half, then refrigerate it while you prepare the topping.
• For the topping and filling: Use 1 tablespoon of the butter to generously grease a 9-by-9-inch baking pan. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, then combine it with the maple syrup in a liquid measuring cup. Gently pour this mixture into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle the pecans over the brown sugar in an even layer. Set aside.
• On a lightly floured surface, pat out one half of the biscuit dough into a 9-inch square; brush evenly with the cream. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over the biscuit. Carefully transfer the biscuit to the baking pan and gently press it as needed to fill the pan.
• On a lightly floured surface, pat out the remaining biscuit dough into another 9-inch square and place it on top of the biscuit in the baking pan, pressing firmly to fill the pan. Place the baking pan on the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake on the lower oven rack until a tester inserted in the center of the biscuit comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
• While the biscuits bake, prepare the candied bacon: Place the bacon strips on the foil-lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, stir to combine the brown sugar and maple syrup. Drizzle a spoonful along the center of each bacon slice, then use your fingers to spread it evenly. Season generously with black pepper.
• Bake the bacon on the upper rack of the oven until crisp and browned, 13 to 17 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately transfer the bacon to a cutting board and let cool. Coarsely chop the bacon.
• Let the sticky buns cool in the pan for 3 to 4 minutes before turning them out onto a serving platter. Spoon any topping still in the pan over the biscuits and sprinkle the bacon evenly over the top. Cut into 9 equal pieces and serve the biscuits warm.

PECAN-CORNBREAD DRESSING

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in stuffing mix; cover and set aside. , In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp; remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels. Discard all but 3 tablespoons of drippings; cook celery in drippings over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add onions and cook 5 minutes or until celery is tender, stirring constantly. Add to cornbread mixture along with pecans, salt, pepper and bacon; mix well. , Transfer to a greased 2-qt. casserole. Cover and bake at 325° for 45 minutes or until heated through.

AUTUMN PUMPKIN BREAD WITH PECANS

Steps:

• Place the yeast and warm water in a large bowl and stir with a fork to dissolve the yeast. Allow to stand for about 3 minutes.
• Add the honey, pumpkin puree, milk, egg yolks, cornmeal, and 1 2/3 cups (8 ounces) of the high-gluten flour to the yeast mixture. Stir briskly with a whisk until the ingredients are well combined. Let this sponge stand for at least 15 minutes but not longer than 30 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining 2 1/3 cups (11 3/4 ounces) high-gluten flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt together to mix well. Add to the sponge and stir with your fingers to incorporate the flour, scraping the sides of the bowl and folding the dough over itself until it gathers into a shaggy mass. Knead the dough in the bowl until it becomes smooth and somewhat elastic, about 5 minutes. Gradually add the melted butter, kneading it in gently until well incorporated.
• Move the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead until it is very smooth, silky, and elastic, about 5 minutes. The dough will be sticky, so keep the work surface and your hands lightly floured, but don't overdo it. The dough should be soft, supple, and springy. Shape the dough into a loose ball, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 20 minutes. (This rest period is the autolyse.)
• Flatten the dough and stretch it gently with your fingers to form a rectangle about an inch thick. Spread the toasted pecans evenly over the rectangle. Fold the whole mass into an envelope and knead it gently until the nuts are well distributed, about 2 to 3 minutes. If the dough resists, let it rest for 5 minutes and then continue kneading it. Some of the pecans may pop out of the dough, but they can easily be incorporated again after the first rise, when the dough has softened.
• Shape the dough into a loose ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl, along with any loose pecans. Turn to coat the dough with oil, then cover the bowl tightly with oiled plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature (75 degrees to 77 degrees F) until it has doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
• While the bread is rising, make a cornstarch wash: Put the cold water in a small saucepan and whisk in the cornstarch. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently until it thickens. Remove from the heat and cover to keep a skin from forming. Set aside to cool.
• When the dough has doubled, gently pour it out of the bowl onto the floured work surface, pressing in any loose nuts. Flour your hands lightly and gently divide the dough into 2 equal pieces (each weighing about 24 ounces). Shape each piece into a knot.
• Generously dust a peel or the bottom of a baking sheet with flour or coarse cornmeal. Carefully place the shaped loaves on the peel or sheet, leaving several inches between them so they won't grow into each other as they rise. Cover the dough with oiled plastic wrap and allow it to rise at room temperature until it has just doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Thirty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place a baking stone in the oven to preheat and place an empty water pan directly below the stone.
• When the loaves have doubled, use a pastry brush to paint each loaf with the cornstarch wash. Brush gently so you won't deflate the loaves. (Reserve the remaining cornstarch wash.) Shake the peel or pan gently to be sure the loaves aren't sticking and slide the dough onto the baking stone. Quickly pour 1 cup of very hot water into the water pan and immediately shut the door. After 1 minute, using a plant sprayer, mist the top and sides of the oven 6 to 8 times, then immediately shut the oven door. Repeat the misting procedure 1 minute later.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature 350 degrees F and bake for 20 to 25 minutes longer, until the loaves are golden brown and the surface feels firm but not hard when you press it lightly. These should have a thin soft crust, not a hard crunchy one. Transfer the loaves to a rack and paint them again with the cornstarch wash. Allow to cool completely before serving. This bread is best eaten the day it is baked, but it also freezes exceptionally well if you wrap it in aluminum foil and then a heavy duty plastic freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

JOE'S INCREDIBLE BACON PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil; add the pumpkin and cook until soft enough to easily pierce with a fork, about 10 minutes. Drain.
• Mash the cooked pumpkin with a potato masher in your favorite large bowl. Mix the cream cheese and brown sugar with the mashed pumpkin. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla, half-and-half, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves; stir until you have a thin batter. The batter should be slightly thinner than pancake batter. Pour the batter into the pie crusts.
• Place bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until evenly brown. Trim soft, fatty bits from strips. Press 7 pieces of bacon into the batter of each pie with a fork.
• Bake the pies in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Decrease the heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Top each pie with 2 pieces of cooked bacon and bake another 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow pies to cool completely before serving.