Pecan Chicken Strips with Honey Mustard

This recipes brings chicken fingers to a whole new level. The pecan breading with the honey mustard sauce is hands down a great match.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/2 tsp. salt and pepper
1 c. pecans
1 c. Panko
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. light Miracle Whip
1/4 c. light sour cream
2 Tbs. mustard
2 Tbs. course ground mustard

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a food processor, pulse the pecans, Panko, Italian seasoning, garlic and onion powder. Pour into a shallow dish. In a separate bowl, combine the miracle whip, sour cream, honey, and both mustard's. Season the chicken strips with salt and pepper. Dip the chicken into the mustard sauce, then into the pecan mixture pressing slightly. Place the chicken onto the prepared sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with honey mustard sauce or with a honey mustard yogurt dressing. Garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro.

Pecan Shortbread Cookies

I know a lot of people frown upon putting anything made with a box mix in a homemade cookie gift, but I beg to differ. I love taking a box cake mix and transforming it into something soft, gooey, chewy, whatever it happens to be. These cookies are a great example of just that. The golden vanilla cake mix gives these cookies a rich buttery taste and the pecans give it a great crunch!

Ingredients:

1 box Golden Vanilla cake mix
1 egg
1/2 c. oil
1/3 c. chopped pecans
1 c. chopped Pecan Chocolate Chip Supremes Cookies (see pic below)
       (if you can't find these cookies or similar, substitute shortbread cookies and 1/4 c. mini chocolate chips)

 (These were in the dollar section at my local Shopko Hometown store)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, egg, oil and chopped pecans until the dough resembles a thick paste. Stir in the chopped cookie pieces. Prepare a cookie sheet with lined parchment paper. Roll the dough into about 1 inch balls and place on the cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the bottom is golden brown (the cookies will still be soft, do NOT bake longer!). Let cool for at least a minute before transferring to a wire cooling rack. 

Pecan Pie Cookies

 

I....don't even like pecans that much. Or pie crust. But these cookies? To die for! All of the flavors of pecan pie, but hand held, non messy, and still gooey on the inside.

Ingredients:

1 pie crust (homemade or store bought)
2 Tbs. margarine, melted
1/2 c. pecans, chopped
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. corn syrup
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unroll the pastry and using a rolling pin, thin out the crust. Use a 3" round cookie cutter and cut the dough into circles. Combine the scraps, work into a dough ball again, roll out, and keep cutting circles out until you don't have enough dough to make another circle. Slightly roll up the "edges" of the circles so that they have a slight lip on them. Place on the prepared parchment sheet. 

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the margarine, pecans, brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs and salt together. Cook on medium-low, whisking occasionally, until the filling is slightly thickened. Pour about a tablespoon into each mini pie circle. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the bottom of the pie crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack before serving or storing.

Apple Brie Pecan Crescents

 

If you are looking for an appetizer that looks pretty and will stop people dead in their tracks from sheer beauty, this is NOT that recipe! It is tasty, has all of the sweet and savory notes, but let's be honest, when brie melts it has a mind of it's own!

Ingredients:

1 apple, cored and sliced
1 tube crescent rolls
16 pecan halves
1/4 brie round, rind removed

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lay out the perforated triangles on a flat surface. Cut a thin slice of brie and place at the end of the triangle. Top with a thin slice of apple and a pecan half. Starting at the wide end of the crescent, roll upward until the end of the crescent is tucked under. Make sure that you place them on a non stick baking sheet lined with parchment paper, with the pecan facing up. Repeat for the remaining crescents and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet and the using a spatula, scrape any loose cheese while it is still warm up towards the crescent again. Let cool fully and place on  your serving tray. This would be really good served with a warm jam to spread on top or dip in!

Honey-Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

2 large butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 Tbs. honey
1 1/2 Tbs. butter
Salt and pepper
Chopped pecans
Parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place squash cut side up on a prepared pan lined with tinfoil. Microwave the honey and butter together for 30 seconds and stir together. Brush the tops of the squash evenly, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake in the oven for one hour.

Slice in half width wise, and then into thirds or quarters. Place in a large bowl (even your serving dish) and pour any remaining melted butter and honey mix on top. Toss in chopped pecans and fresh parsley before serving.

Honey Pecan Granola

Ingredients:

4 1/2 c. Quaker oats
1 c. pecans
3/4 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. coconut oil, refined, melted
1/3 c. honey

Combine the honey and coconut oil together. In a large bowl, mix the first 6 ingredients together. Pour the oil over and stir together until everything is wet and well incorporated. Pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (I actually used an air bake pizza pan). Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes so that the bottom layer doesn't burn.

(Makes 16 servings, 8 WW points per serving)

Salted Pecan Pie Bars

Ingredients:

2 sticks of margarine, softened
1 c. brown sugar
2 c. flour
2 eggs
3/4 c. light corn syrup
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 Tbs. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. pecans, plus extra for topping

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 13x9 pan with tinfoil and spray with non stick cooking spray. Beat the butter and 1 c. brown sugar with an electric mixer. Add the flour and beat until crumbs form. Pour out into the prepared pan and press down in an even layer of crust. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla together. Stir in the pecans and pour on top of the crust. Add whole pecans on top for decoration. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool fully in the refrigerator overnight and cut into squares.

Pecan Pie Phyllo Tarts

Ingredients:

1/3 c. chopped toasted pecans
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 Tbs. dark corn syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg white
2 pkg. mini phyllo shells

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the above ingredients minus the phyllo shells in a small bowl. Fill the shells about 3/4 of the way full with the pecan mixture and place on an ungreased baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool before serving.

No Bake Turtle Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1/2 box chocolate Teddy grahams
1/2 stick margarine, melted

1 pkg. 1/3 less fat cream cheese
2 pkg. fat free cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbs. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. cold water
2 1/4 tsp. unflavored gelatin
1 c. milk, 1%
1 c. pecans
1 c. caramel ice cream topping

In a food processor, combine the Teddy grahams and melted butter and pulse until moist crumbs form. Press into the bottom of a non stick spring form pan, or a pie dish, and set aside. 

Combine the cream cheese and sugar in an electric mixer. Add in the vanilla and salt. In a small bowl, combine the water and gelatin and stir together. Let stand for 2 minutes. Heat the milk in a small saucepan, but Do Not boil. Stir the gelatin mix into the milk. Pour into the cream cheese mixture and beat until everything is well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and chill for at least 2 hours. Before serving, toast the pecans in a small skillet for about 3 minutes on medium high, stirring constantly. Drizzle the cheesecake with the caramel sauce, and sprinkle or place the toasted pecans on top.

Sugar Free Pecan Sandies

Ingredients:

1 c. margarine, softened
1/4 c. Splenda (granulated)
2 c. flour
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped pecans
Edible Glitter


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the butter and Splenda at medium speed in an electric mixer. Add the flour on low speed until combined. Continue on low speed and add the vanilla and pecans to mix into the batter. Drop on a parchment lined baking sheet by 1 tablespoon size portions. They do not expand much, so you can place pretty close together. Sprinkle with edible glitter. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool on wire racks before serving.

Chocolate Pecan Date Tart

Ingredients:

1 sleeve graham crackers
1 stick butter, melted
2 Tbs. brown sugar

1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. light corn syrup
1 Tbs. butter
3/4 c. Egg Beaters
1 Tbs. flour
1 c. chopped dates
3/4 c. toasted pecans
1 c. white chocolate chips (I ran out, so I used white baking chocolate, chopped)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. To make the crust, combine the first three ingredients in a food processor. Press into the bottom of a springform pan that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray. For the filling, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup and 1 Tbs. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it starts to bubble, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the egg substitute and flour. Stir until blended well. Sprinkle the crust with the dates, pecans and white chocolate chips. Pour the liquid mixture over the top evenly. bake for 35-40 minutes in the oven. Let cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

No-Bake Cheesecake with Bourbon Pecan Caramel

Ingredients:

Store-bought graham cracker crust (or you can make homemade)

8 oz. (1/3 fat free) cream cheese
16 oz. fat free cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbs. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. cold water
2 1/4 tsp. unflavored gelatin
1 c. milk, 1%

Combine the cream cheese and sugar in an electric mixer. Add in the vanilla and salt. In a small bowl, combine the water and gelatin and stir together. Let stand for 2 minutes. Heat the milk in a small saucepan, but Do Not boil. Stir the gelatin mix into the milk. Pour into the cream cheese mixture and beat until everything is well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and chill for at least 2 hours.

Caramel:

2 Tbs. margarine
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. maple syrup
1 Tbs. heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. bourbon (I used Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey)
1/2 c. chopped pecans, toasted

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, heaving whipping cream and salt and stir till everything is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium. Cook five minutes and DO NOT STIR. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for a few minutes until the mixture thickens slightly. Pour over each individual serving of cheesecake.

 (Makes 16 servings, 7 WW points per slice which includes the caramel sauce.)

Apple Pecan Pie Tassies

Ingredients:

2 refrigerated pie crusts

1 egg
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. pecans, chopped
1 1/2 c. apples, peeled and diced small
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Unroll one of the pie crusts onto a flat work surface. Roll the dough out thinner so that you can make 12 circles using a 2 inch biscuit cutter (or cookie cutter). Save the leftover dough and set aside. Repeat for the other pie crust. Combine the two balls of leftover pie crust together and roll out again. You will end up with approximately 48-52 circles. Place the circles in a mini cupcake tin and press down the center to make the well for the filling. Repeat for the rest of the dough circles. Set aside.

Meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Fill about 1 tsp. of the filling in each pie crust cup. Bake for 10-12 minutes in the oven. Remove from the pans immediately and let cool fully on a wire rack.

Maple Pecan Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. pure maple syrup
1/2 c. margarine, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
2/3 c. milk, 1%
1/2 c. rough chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In an electric mixer, mix the flour, pecans, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix in the sugar and maple syrup until well combined. Add the butter and mix for 2 minutes. Add the eggs until just combined, and then the milk. Bake for 20 minutes until the cupcakes bounce back slightly.

Meanwhile, in an electric mixer, beat 1/2 c. butter, 1/2 c. chopped pecans, a pinch of salt, 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar, and 1 tsp. maple extract together until the frosting is the consistency of your choice (I like it to just stand up slightly when you lift the paddle attachment).

When the cupcakes are fully cool, frost the tops with the maple pecan frosting and add chopped pecans on top.

Hawaiian Cream Cheese Spread

Ingredients:

8 oz. low fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. fat free sour cream
2/3 c. fresh pineapple, finely chopped
1/2 small orange and red pepper, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
1/4 c. chopped pecans
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. mustard
1/2 tsp. pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
about 2 c. whole pecans

Cut the top of your pineapple off, and then in half lengthwise. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and sour cream together with a spatula. Add the rest of the ingredients minus the whole pecans, and stir until everything is well incorporated. On your serving platter, shape the cream cheese mixture into a pineapple shape, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until right before you need to serve. Add rows of whole pecans on top to make it resemble a pineapple. To finish, add the cut off pineapple top. Serve with crackers and fruit.

(Makes about 25-30 servings, 1 WW point per serving.)

Coffee Pecan Fancies

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. instant coffee
1 egg
1 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugars together. Add the vanilla, coffee and egg. Slowly add the dry ingredients until well combined. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Drop on ungreased cookie sheets by teaspoon or teaspoon and a half. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove immediately from the pans, and cool on wire racks.

Peppermint Crunch Cookies

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. flour
1 c. Quaker oats
1 c. sweet grated coconut
1 1/4 c. fine chopped pecans
1 1/2 c. Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips
Peppermint flavored sprinkles

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed until well incorporated. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add your baking soda, salt and flour on slow speed until everything is combined well. Stir in the oats, coconut, pecans and peppermint chips by hand. Drop by tablespoons about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Let cool for about a minute on the pan before removing and letting cool fully on wire racks.

Apricot-Amaretto Chews

My great Aunt Jean passed about a year and a half ago, and she was like my grandma. She always had these cookies in her cookie jar at home. When she passed away, these were actually the last kind of cookies that were left in her cookie jar. I wish I could have bottled the smell of her house, which always smelled like fresh baked cookies. But when I make these Apricot-Amaretto Chews cookies, it comes pretty close to that smell. This recipe is out of a recipe book that I put together after she passed.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 c. butter

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbs. amaretto 

2 1/2 c. rolled oats

1 c. chopped dried apricots

1/2 c. finely chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the eggs and amaretto and beat well. Add the flour and baking soda to the wet mixture and mix well. Stir in the oats, apricots and nuts. Drop by rounded tsp. on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool one minute on the pan, then remove and cool completely on wire racks. Drizzle with a glaze (made of 2 cups powdered sugar and 2-3 Tbs. amaretto), and then I top them with a slice of dried apricot. Let the frosting cool all of the way so that it hardens, before trying to stack them or place in an air-tight container. 

Upside Down Apple Pie

Ingredients:

2 Pillsbury pie crusts

6 Tbs. melted butter, divided

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. chopped pecans

1 c. sugar

1/3 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

8 c. (about 4 large apples) Golden Delicious apples, chopped

Line a deep dish pie tin with tinfoil, leaving about 2 inches in access over the top. Combine 4 Tbs. butter, brown sugar and pecans in a small saucepan. Spoon into the prepared pan and spread evenly. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, apples and remaining melted butter. Toss gently. Place one pie crust on top of the pecan mixture. Pour the apple filling into the pie crust. Place the other crust on top of the apples and flute the edges to seal well. Cut four slices on the top of the pie crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Fold the excess tinfoil over the crust so that it will not burn. Bake for 30 more minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then place a plate on top of the pie dish, flip the pie onto the plate, and remove the tinfoil. 

To serve with the pie, I made a caramel whipped cream. In an electric mixer, start mixing 1/4 c. of caramel sauce with 1/4 c. cold whipping cream. Slowly beat the remaining 3/4 c. whipping cream into the caramel and whip until soft peaks form. 

Pecan Pie "Soda"

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. water
1/2 c. toasted chopped pecans
1/2 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon juice
pinch of salt

Bring all of the ingredients to a boil on the stove. Reduce to simmer and cook for 10 more minutes. Let cool fully before pouring into four glasses. Fill them with ice, and garnish with a few pecans.  Tastes just like pecan pie! If you want an alcoholic version, add a shot of whiskey!