pecans

Stop the presses. Hold the phone. Shut the front door. <insert other “OMG” phrase here that I can’t think of at the moment.>

I’m gonna need you to stop what you’re doing right this instant and grab the supplies needed to make these candied pecans. There’s a good chance that you already have all of the ingredients in your pantry, minus the pecans.

These candied pecans are serious business. Seriously delicious business, that is. I can’t get over how good they are. I have mentioned before that I’m not the most easily excitable person on the planet. But these things blew me away. They are so simple, so easy to make, and so unbelievably addictive. About a month ago, I made a batch to send my dad half of them in the mail for his birthday. He and my grandpa informed me that they were the best part of his birthday baked goods package, that they’re “dangerous,” and delicious. Update: While I was at their house during Christmas break, my grandpa said, “Those candied pecans ought to be outlawed!” That dude is known for speaking his mind, so he obviously knows what’s up: they’re so good that they should be outlawed. 😉

candiedpecans_closeup — {Candied pecans aren’t the most photogenic, but they sure are delicious.}

I’d be lying if I said I have any self-control around them. Once you start eating “just a few,” next thing you know you’ve eaten an entire cup. Oops. They’re just so tasty. Roasted pecans, topped with a delicious, crunchy sugar coating that has a good hint of cinnamon… How could that ever be a bad thing?

Candied pecans are also extremely versatile: you can use them as a salad topping, gift them to your loved ones for Christmas, or just make a batch and try to play a game with yourself in which you don’t consume the entire batch in one sitting.

candiedpecanmountain — {This deer loves being on top of Candied Pecan Mountain. I don’t blame him. I’m jealous.}

Regardless of your reason for making these [tbh, you don’t need a reason], just make them. They are so tasty, and they will make your house smell heavenly. My apartment always smells fantastic when I’ve got these things roasting in the oven. Best snack ever. Make them right meow so you can eat them all Christmas weekend. The end.

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Cinnamon Sugar Candied Pecans.

Yield: 4 cups of the most delicious candied pecans on the planet.

Ingredients:
– 1/2 cup granulated sugar
– 1/2 cup light brown sugar
– 1 TBSP. ground cinnamon
– 1 tsp. salt
– 16 ounces (about 4 cups) unsalted pecans halves
– 1 large egg white
– 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
– 1 tsp. water

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F, and line a large baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Set prepared pan aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the sugars, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, add the egg white, vanilla extract, and water together and whisk until frothy.
4. Add the cinnamon sugar mixture to your wet ingredients, and stir until combined. Toss with the pecans until they’re well coated.
5. Spread the coated pecans out onto the prepared pan in an even, single layer.
6. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The sugar mixture will harden on the pecans, especially as they setup and cool off.
7. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet. Once cool, store the candied pecans in an airtight container. They will be good for about a month, but it’s highly unlikely that they’ll last longer than a week.

+ Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod.

Have you ever heard of Nanaimo bars? Unless you’re Canadian, you probably haven’t. Personally, I had no clue what they were up until about four weeks ago. The dude I’m currently dating asked me to make them for him, and I’m pretty sure I gave him a blank stare when he said the word “Nanaimo.” His mother’s side of the family is Canadian, so he’s grown up having these tasty treats. I’m glad I finally learned what the heck they are, because they’re absolutely addicting!

Nanaimo bars – for those of you who don’t know – are a no-bake, triple-layered, Canadian bar type of dessert. They get their name from a city called Nanaimo, which is in British Columbia. There are quite a variety of ways to make Nanaimo bars, but the standard layers go as follows: bottom layer: chocolate with graham cracker or wafer cookie, and some kind of nuts (usually pecans or almonds). The middle layer is a creamy, custard type of filling. Finally, a chocolate ganache layer covers the top to complete the three layers.

These Nanaimo bars are very sweet, and quite rich. But the flavors of all of the ingredients balance out together quite nicely, I think. The graham cracker in the bottom layer mixed in with the chocolate and pecans just makes an absolutely delicious combination. I’m looking forward to making them again in the near future, and trying out some different varieties for each layer. The possibilities are endless!

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Nanaimo Bars.

Ingredients:
Bottom Layer:
– 1/2 cup salted butter, diced into pieces
– 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
– 3 TBS. cocoa powder
– 1 large egg, lightly beaten
– 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
– 1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
– 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (I actually had unsweetened coconut on hand, so I used it.. and I’m glad I did. These do not need any additional sugar.)
– 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or almonds (I used pecans.)

Filling:
– 1/3 cup salted butter, softened
– 1/4 cup heavy cream
– 2 TBS. custard powder or vanilla/white chocolate instant pudding mix (I used instant French vanilla pudding mix that I had leftover.)
– 2 cups powdered sugar

Top Layer:
– 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
– 2 TBS. salted butter

Instructions:

1. Grease an 8×8″ square baking dish and set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the brown sugar and cocoa powder into the pan. Whisk the ingredients well together until they are evenly combined. While continuing to whisk vigorously, slowly add the beaten egg.
2. Return this mixture to the heat and cook for about 1-2 more minutes, or until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
3, Add to this mixture your graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and pecans, then toss until they’re evenly coated. Press the mixture into your greased pan. Cover with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 40 minutes, or freeze for 20 minutes.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer [or using an electric hand mixer], whip the butter, heavy cream, and pudding mix until it’s smooth and fluffy. This should take approximately two minutes on medium speed. {Note: The mixture may seem dry and crumbly at first, but it will come together.} Spread the creamy mixture over the top of the chilled graham cracker base. Cover with plastic wrap again, and freeze for another 15 minutes (or refrigerate for 30 minutes).
5. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, or a double boiler. Once melted and smooth, spread an even layer over the chilled creamy layer. Cover the bars with plastic wrap again, and chill in the fridge for another 10 minutes, or until the chocolate has set. Cut into squares, and store in an airtight container.

+Recipe from Cooking Classy.