Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie

My sons' GF, Audrey, made this a few weeks ago and it was just delicious. I have to admit, hers did taste better than mine. I may have overcooked the filling by a few minutes and I defintely overfilled the pie plate! But...it still tasted great! I made the Bourbon Whipped Cream (all I had in the house was Crown Royal, so I used that)..it makes a delicious contrast to the sweet and decadent pecan pie!





Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie
Recipe from Cooks Country
(Serves 8-10)

1 Cup Maple Syrup
1 Cup packed light brown sugar
½ Cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon Molasses
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
(cut into ½ in. pieces)
½ teaspoon salt
6 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 ½ Cups pecans, toasted and chopped
1 – 9-inch unbaked pie shell,
chilled in pie plate for 30 minutes

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat syrup, sugar, cream and molasses in saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about three minutes. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes. Whisk butter and salt into syrup mixture until combined. Whisk in egg yolks until incorporated.

Scatter pecans in pie shell. Carefully pour filling over. Place pie in hot oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until filling is set and centr jiggles slightly when pie is gently shaken, 45 to 60 minutes. Cool pie on rack for 1 hour, then refrigerate until set, about three hours and up to one day. Bring to room temperature before serving.


Bourbon Whipped Cream
(Makes about 2 Cups)

Note: Although any style of whiskey will work, bourbon is more “Southern”!

1 Cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons bourbon
1 ½ Tablespoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

With electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream, bourbon, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. (Whipped cream can be refrigerated for four hours)

MAID-RITE UPDATE: I tried the other recipe for Maid-rites with the cider vinegar, I didn't like it at all..but my oldest son did like it, go figure! I will make the original one again since I loved the texture and flavor.

MARDI GRAS...

Last Celebration before Lent...still haven't decided what I'm "going to give up" and probably won't decide until midnight!!

A sweet dear sexy Southern Lady, Suzy at Kitchen Bouquet, decided to host a Mardi Gras Celebration and invited everyone to join in. Click on her blog name and you can link to all who have participated and take a look at Southern favorites!

My favorite drink in New Orleans is not the Hurricane, which is usually the drink of choice during Mardi Gras, but the Ramos Gin Fizz! I wanted to make one for this celebration but my orange blossom water did not arrive in time..maybe I can post it in a few days! Refreshing and something totally different, for someone who is not much of a drinker, I really liked these!

In looking at recipes to make I wanted to keep it simple..so I decided on
Creole Chicken Skewers...


Very easy to assemble, makes a delicious appetizer! I only made a small batch, but the recipe below makes a large amount. Depending on the type of Creole seasoning you have and the amount you use will determine how 'spicy' they turn out... I served the tenders with a dill ranch dip to equal out the spice.


One bag frozen chicken tenders (approx. 48 tenders in a bag), thawed
6" wooden skewers, soaked in water overnight
powdered creole seasoning
(salt only if creole seasoning does not already contain salt)
Thaw the chicken tenders enough so you can thread the chicken securely onto the skewers, leaving the point just inside the tip of the chicken so the blunt end
of the skewer is the handle. Preheat oven to 350F. Line up the skewered chicken on a cooling rack inside a foil-covered baking sheet or broiler pan. Lightly dust each side of the chicken with creole seasoning. If your creole seasoning does not contain salt, also add salt to taste. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes each side, turning skewers over, or just until the chicken barely loses its sheen. These are underdone so when you heat them for the party they will not be overdone and dry. Freeze under baked chicken skewers individually then store in plastic bags in freezer until ready to serve. Lay out frozen chicken skewers on cooling racks over a foiled pan again and bake at 350F until done. Makes 48 skewers

My other contribution was something I had never made before, but it was one I have seen so many times.... so TA DA !!
PECAN PRALINES



Simple, simple recipe:
1 C Brown sugar
1/2 Cup white sugar
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup heavy cream
Cook in saucepan to a soft ball stage 234 to 240 degrees on a candy thermometer
Stir in 1 1/2 Cups of chopped pecans
Drop by spoon or pour in mounds onto a buttered cookie sheet

They may not have turned out as the prettiest shape, but the taste is just fantastic!

Suzy, Thank you so much for being the hostess of Mardi Gras in our blog world !!

Now, I can start planning a St Patty's Day Celebration that is being hosted by a Lively Irish Lass, Kathleen at Cuisine Kathleen! Click on her link for details.