Sugar Spiced Pecans

An easy candy to make at home are these spiced pecans, ever so popular in the 1920s when people made their own candy.

1 pound Georgia pecan halves

1 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven 300 degrees. Lightly butter a heatproof serving plater or tray. Place the pecans on a baking pan and place in the oven to toast 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside.

Place the sugar, salt, cinnamon and water in a two-quart saucepan. Place the pan over medium-high heat, and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a syrup that spins a small thread when you pull the spoon from the syrup, about five minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Fold in toasted pecans and vanilla. Stir quickly to combine nuts and syrup. Quickly pour mixture onto the prepared platter. With the spoon, quickly and carefully separate the nuts. Let nuts cool until syrup has set. Store in a tightly closed tin or plastic container.

Serves 16

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Source: Georgia Department of Agriculture

Pecan Cheese Crackers

These irresistible cheesy wafers are addicting. You eat one and you want another. The pecans add texture and flavor. Cheese wafers were all the rage in the 1960s, and they're still very much in vogue today.

1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (4 cups)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine at room temperature

3 cups self-rising flour

1/2 teaspoon (or more to taste) cayenne pepper

2 cups finely chopped Georgia pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or in the food processor fitted with a steel blade, place shredded cheese and softened butter. Beat or process until well combined. Add flour, cayenne pepper and pecans. Beat or process a bit more, or until pecans have just been incorporated.

Shape the dough into four logs, about 1.5 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper and chill one hour, or freeze for about 20 minutes. Slice logs into 1/4-inch rounds and bake in batches on ungreased baking sheets until crisp but not browned, 12 to 15 minutes.

With metal spatula, remove crackers to a wire rack to cool. Serve at once, store in tightly covered tin for up to a week, or freeze unbaked dough or baked crackers for up to six months.

Makes 6 dozen

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 12 to 15 minutes

Source: Georgia Department of Agriculture

Classic Pecan Pie

About the time families reunited after World War II and women were at home cooking for their families, pecan pie came into its own. It was a simple dessert to prepare and got rave reviews and still does.

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

11/2 cups Georgia pecan halves

1 9-inch unbaked deep-dish pie shell

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the beaten eggs, sugar, corn syrup, melted butter and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Fold in pecans. Pour the mixture into the pie shell, smoothing out the top with the spoon so pecans are evenly distributed.

Carefully place the pie in the oven and bake until a nut brown color and a knife inserted in the center of the pie comes our clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven to cool for 30 minutes. When cool, slice and serve as is or with vanilla ice cream.

Serves 8

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 50 to 55 minutes

Source: Georgia Department of Agriculture

Pecan Cheese Ring

In the 1970s people had little concern about their diets, and so they dug seep into spreads, like this one, at cocktail parties. It is a decadent combination of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, onion, mayonnaise, red pepper and pecans. And when you pair it with strawberry preserves, you have a memorable and very retro appetizer.

1 pound extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (4 cups)

1 pound medium cheddar cheese, shredded (4 cups)

1 small onion, grated

1 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup chopped Georgia pecans

1 cup strawberry preserves, optional

Place shredded cheeses, opinion, mayonnaise and cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Stir until well combined. Place a 3 1/2-inch custard cup upside down in the middle of a 10-inch spring form pan. (Or use the ring mold insert that comes with some spring form pans). Lightly grease sides of pan and custard cup with softened butter. Sprinkle half of the pecans in the bottom of the pan. Spread cheese mixture on top of pecans. Cover with plastic wrap and chill the mixture until firm, at least 1 hour. When ready to serve, unmold the cheese ring onto a platter and pat remaining pecans onto top and sides of ring. If desired, spoon strawberry preserves in the center. Serve with crackers.

Serves 24

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Source: Georgia Department of Agriculture

Chicken with Bleu Cheese Pecan Sauce

What could be more `80s than a rich bleu cheese sauce in which you add 1/2 cup chopped Georgia pecans? Bleu cheese and pecans have a natural affinity for each other. If you want to lighten up this dish, grill the chicken breasts first and spoon a little of the sauce over just before serving.

Bleu Cheese Pecan Sauce

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups whole or low-fat milk

1 tablespoon dry sherry

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped Georgia pecans

4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Chicken

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

8 boned and skinned chicken breast halves

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Garnish

2 tablespoons reserved blue cheese

1/2 cup chopped parsley

For the sauce, place the butter or margarine in a two-quart saucepan over medium heat. When melted, stir in the flour and stir until smooth. Stir in milk, sherry, garlic and pecans and stir and cook until the sauce thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and fold in all but two tablespoons of the blue cheese. Reserve this for garnishing the chicken. Stir the sauce until the cheese has melted. Cover and keep warm.

For the chicken, place flour and salt in a small shallow bowl and mix well. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Place them on a cutting board and pound them with a meat mallet to about 1/4-inch thickness. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, coating evenly on all sides. Set aside. Place vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add chicken and saute in batches, cooking about three minutes per side or until chicken is lightly browned and cooked through. Remove chicken as it cooks to a place lined with paper towels. Repeat the process with remaining chicken breasts. (This can be done in advance and the chicken can be reheated in foil before serving.) To serve, place chicken on serving plate and spoon the sauce over. garnish the chicken with the reserved blue cheese and chopped parsley.

Serves 8

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Source: Georgia Department of Agriculture

Country Salad with Pecans and Goat Cheese Fondue

This recipe created by Chef David Burke speaks to the 1990s with an emphasis on salads and interesting greens.

But be forewarned that it's rich, so save this recipe for special days.

Salad

8 cups mixed seasonal greens

16 goat cheese buttons (small round cheeses)

2 Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly sliced

Pecan Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup sherry wine vinegar

1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Coarse or Kosher salt to taste

3/4 cup chopped Georgia pecans

Goat Cheese Fondue

4 ounces soft goat cheese

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter, optional

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

Coarse or Kosher salt and pepper to taste

For the salad, wash the salad greens, pat dry in paper towels and chill. Set aside the goat cheese buttons, and slice the apples and reserve.

For the vinaigrette, place the mustard and vinegar in a small mixing bowl. Whisk in the olive oil until thickened, and season with pepper and salt. Fold in pecans. Set aside.

For the fondue, place the goat cheese and cream in a heavy one-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until the goat cheese softens and melts and the mixture thickens, four to five minutes. Fold in the butter, if desired. Add the cumin and stir to combine. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in chives and salt and pepper to taste. To serve, toss the salad greens with the vinaigrette and divide onto eight serving plates. Place two goat cheese buttons on each plate and spoon the goat cheese fondue over the cheese, Top the buttons with the sliced apples.

Serves 8

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Source: David Burke, Park Avenue cafe, New York City/Chicago

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