It is almost pecan harvest time, so let's post our favorite pecan recipes. Here's a couple of mine:

PECAN PRALINE SYRUP (Yield: 4 half-pints)---from the 2009 Ball Blue Blue

2 C. dark corn syrup

1/2 C. water

1/3 C. dark brown sugar

1 C. pecan pieces

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine the corn syrup and water in a saucepan. Add the sugar, and stir until it is dissolved. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat; stir in pecans and vanila and simmer for 5 minutes. Ladle the syrup into hot prepared jars leaving a 1/4" headspace. Adjust hot two-piece lids and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

VARIATION: For a lighter, less molasses flavor, substitute light corn syrup for the dark corn syrup and light brown sugar for the dark brown sugar.

Yummy on all kinds of pancakes and waffles.

PECAN PIE WITH BLACK WALNUT CRUST (or, you can substitute the crust of your choice)

Black Walnut Crust (makes one 10" pie shell)

1 1/2 cups crushed black walnuts (If you harvest your own, pick them out of the shells and spread them out to dry for about a week before you use them).

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

5 T. sugar

2 C. all-purpose flour

2 egg yolks, well-beaten

1 t. vanilla extract

approx. 1 teaspoon water

Combine all ingredients in a bowl an mix well. The mixture should be about the consistency of cookie dough. If not, add a little more flour, or water, as needed, to get it to the desired consistency.

Turn out the dough into a well-greased 10" tart pan with a removable bottom. Use your hands to press the dough into the pan, working from the center outward. Be sure to cover the bottom and sides of the pan.

Cover crust and refrigerate for at least an hour before filling it. Do not freeze it.

Pecan Pie Filling:

3 eggs

1/2 light or dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1 t. vanilla extract

1/2 C. all-purpose flour

1 cup light or dark brown corn syrup

1/2 cup light brown corn syrup

2 cups pecan pieces (not halves) plus, if desired, additional pecan halves for garnish

1 crust (black walnut crust above or other crust of your choice)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and mix well. Stir in the flour and mix well. Add the dark and light (or all light) corn syrups and pecan pieces and mix well.

Pour filling into prepared crust and, if desired, top crust by pressing pecans half into top of pie filling.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until pie filling is set.

If desired, top with homemade whipped topping. (Recipe below.)

Homemade Pecan Pie Whipped Topping:

8 oz. heavy cream

1 t. ground ginger

2 t. honey

In a chilled, medium-sized bowl, whip together the cream, ginger and honey until the cream forms stiff peaks. This takes about 5 minutes and works better if you chill the mixer's beaters before you do it. Use an electic mixer set on high.

After pie has baked, set it on a wire rack to cool. Once cool, remove tart pan's sides. Serve with the honey-ginger flavored whipped topping.

I haven't tried baking this in a regular pie pan, and I don't even have a 10" tart pan, so I use a 10" springform cheesecake pan.

PECAN DRESSING FOR SOUTHERN-STYLE GREENS SALAD

Make this dressing to serve over a salad made of 1 lb. of your favorite southern greens.....mustard, collard or turnip.

2 T. balsamic vinegar

2 t. honey

1 T. dijon mustard

2 t. vegetable or olive oil

1/3 C. pecans, roughly chopped into smallish pieces

To prepare the salad, wash, drain and tear the greens into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl.

Combine the vinegar, honey and mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the oil until hot, but don't let it smoke. Add the vinegar mixture and pecans to the oil and cook, stirring often, for about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the hot dressing over the greens and serve immediately.

CARROT-PECAN CAKE

1 1/2 C. vegetable oil

2 C. sugar

2 C. sifted flour

2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

2 t. cinnamon

1 t. salt

4 eggs

3 cups grated carrots

1 C. finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Grease a 9" x 13" baking pan.

Combine all ingredients and blend well.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes.

You can serve it plain as a coffee cake, or frost with the frosting of your choice. (I like cream cheese frosting on it.)

PECAN CHICKEN (Serves 8)

8 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 C. buttermilk

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 C. all-purpose flour

1 C. pecans, ground to a meal-like consistency)

1 T. salt

1 T. paprika

1/8 t. pepper

1/4 C. sesame seeds

Two 2 1/2 lb. chickens, cut into quarters or pieces

1/4 cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in a 10" x 15" baking pan.

In a shallow dish, combine the buttermilk and egg.

In a separate dish, combine flour, ground pecans, salt, paprika, pepper, and sesame seeds.

Dip chicken into buttermilk and then dredge through the flour. Place skin side down in the pan with the melted butter. Then turn to coat with butter and leave the skin side up. Sprinkle with pecan halves.

Bake in pre-heated oven for approximately 1 hour and fifteen minutes, or until chicken is cooked thru.

Those are my pecan recipes and I'm looking forward to making them as soon as I harvest and shell pecans. At least half the fun of growing veggies, fruits and nuts is cooking with them and eating them after they are harvested. So, what are your favorite pecan recipes?

Dawn