Candied Pecans

Hi Everyone.  It's time for this month's Secret Recipe Club, where each month, a group of bloggers are assigned a blog, and we get to choose a recipe from that blog to feature on our own blogs, then we all reveal our assigned blogs on the same day.

This month I was assigned the blog:  Smells Like Brownies by Melissa.  Melissa is a stay-at-home wife and mother of two, and her favorite thing to do is share delicious food with her family and friends.  

Melissa's blog is only 4 years old, but she has an impressive catalog of recipes to choose from.  I had a particularly busy week so I needed to find a simple and fast recipe to prepare for this month's reveal.  The Black Bean Hummus sounded really good, so did the Salmon Mousse (definitely going to make that one), and if I had had time, the Maple Coconut Granola has my name written all over it, and I would have tried the Homemade Mozzarella, but in the end, time was a huge factor so I chose Candied Pecans which I plan to share with family during the upcoming holidays.  These nuts are addictive - the only thing I'd do differently next time is make more!  

Thanks Melissa - these candied pecans are the bomb!

Start by lightly toasting the halved pecans in the oven.

Make a sugar praline-like syrup syrup.

Add pure vanilla extract (use the best!).

Add the toasted pecans to the caramelized sugar syrup.

Toss well to coat.

Pour coated pecans onto a silicone lined sheet pan; spreading them out into a single layer.

Bake in oven, tossing every 10 minutes until the sugar crystallizes. 

Totally addictive - sorry I didn't make a double batch!  

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• pecan halves https://amzn.to/3g7Kr71

• nonstick saucepan https://amzn.to/3HhiOUL

• silicone coated whisk https://amzn.to/3IQVyxy

• half sheet pan https://amzn.to/3KYKWyv

• silpat liner https://amzn.to/3s3oT0P

• candy thermometer https://amzn.to/34fnzzH

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3r9wNGK

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Candied Pecans

makes 1 1/2 cups

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups pecan halves

• 1/2 tablespoon butter

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper or a Silpat liner and preheat the oven to 250F (yes, 250F).

2. Spread pecan halves on prepared sheet pan and toast in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

3. In a small saucepan (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat, combine butter, sugar, water, salt, and cinnamon (use a silicone coated whisk if you have a hard time breaking up the clumps of cinnamon).

4. As soon as the sugar is completely dissolved, stop stirring and insert a candy thermometer.

5. Continue cooking, without stirring, until the temperature of the sugar syrup reaches 246F (soft ball stage).

6. Remove sugar syrup from heat and stir in vanilla, followed by the toasted pecans; toss until pecans are completely coated.

7. Pour coated pecans onto prepared sheet pan, spreading into a single layer.

8. Bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

9. Remove from oven and cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Note

• To check if your candy thermometer is properly calibrated, use this online calculator to see what the boiling point of water is based on the elevation of your zip code (US residents). Simply plug in your zip code to get your elevation. Once you have your elevation, use the same calculator to see what temperature water will boil at that elevation. For example, according to my zip code, my elevation is about 900 feet above sea level. That means my thermometer should indicate 210F at the point water boils. If my candy thermometer indicates a difference, I would have to add or subtract that difference from my target temperature.

Christmas Cookie Cutouts (No Futzing with Frosting)

Aren't these cookies adorable?  And they are so easy to make, you won't believe it.  And you can make all different kinds.  (Thanks to Terri for coming up with the catchy tagline!)

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Here's a set of 4 small snowflake cutters, and the large snowflake cutter. 

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Here's a set that includes the snowman, gingerbread man, ornament, and Christmas tree.

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To make the cookies, roll the cookie dough between 2 pieces of plastic wrap.  No extra flour is needed and you can reroll the scraps multiple times without it affecting the quality of the cookies.  To ensure all my cookies are the same thickness, I use rolling guides.

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Now it's time to cut the cookies with the plunger cutters, but there's no need to push the plunger thingy down at this point.  Pop the cut dough in the fridge to chill so the dough hardens before transferring the cutouts to a sheet pan - this will keep the cutouts from distorting. 

I forgot to get a photo of the cookies going into the oven, but you know the drill.  I bake my cookies on a silpat lined half sheet pan. 

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While the cookies are baking, knead the fondant to make it pliable and roll it to 1/16-inch thickness, again I'm using my rolling guides.  Use any fondant that you like.  I sometimes buy colored fondant, but most of the time I buy white fondant and color it using gel colors.  

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When I cut the cookie dough, I didn't push the plunger down, but I will now.  

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Then I away the scraps and save them in an airtight container to be used another time.  I let the fondant sit at room temp to firm up before placing them onto the baked cookies - if the room is warm, I pop them in the fridge for a couple minutes.  

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Place the fondant cutouts onto the cookies while they're still warm from the oven.  This will allow the fondant to melt ever so slightly so it adheres to the cookie.  That's it folks.  Super easy.

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And super cute!

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I love them all, but the pink snowflakes are my favorite.  

Okay, go get some plunger cutters and make yourself some cookies!  

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3HanYSv

• Dutch processed cocoa powder https://amzn.to/2SBYQL2

• Christmas cutter set https://amzn.to/2Rlr3Zt

• snowflake cutter set https://amzn.to/2ArHKbR

• rolling guides https://amzn.to/2Vn82F6

• silpat liner https://amzn.to/2CJPLKR

• commercial half sheet pan https://amzn.to/3HdgONw

• gel food colors https://amzn.to/33UOD7J

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Christmas Cutout Cookies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

To make the cookie dough:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the BeaterBlade attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed for 30 seconds.

3. Add egg and vanilla; beat to combine.

4. Add flour mixture and beat until incorporated.

5. Remove dough from mixer bowl and wrap well with plastic wrap; chill for 1-3 hours.

6. Preheat oven to 375F.

7. Roll each dough portion to 3/16-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.

8. Cut out desired shapes with floured plunger cutters, without plunging the design into the cutout.

9. Chill dough before transferring cutouts to sheet pan to prevent distorting.

10. Place cookies 2-inches apart on silpat lined sheet pan.

11. Bake for 6-8 minutes; remove from oven and top with fondant cutouts that have the design pressed into them.

12. Cool completely before serving. Store in airtight container between with wax paper between layers.

Notes

• Recipe makes 40-60 cookies, depending on size.  

• Plan to use about 1/2 pound fondant (I like to buy white fondant so I can color it any way I like).  

• Fondant cutouts can be made a day or more in advance if stored on wax or parchment paper in an airtight container.  

• If cookies cool before fondant toppers are added, warm the cookies for a few seconds in the microwave.