FREE RECIPES AND IDEAS

Check out the free recipes below for your use at home with your favorite dinner parties. Use 40ParkLane's pecans, toffee, chocolate bark or chutneys, vinegars and mustards in or complimentary with your favorite meals.

Pecan Cookies

4 oz. plain flour 2 oz. cornstarch 3/4 tsp baking powder pinch of salt 2 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground mixed spice 1 tsp ground cinnamon 2 oz. Sweet & Salty™ pecans, finely chopped 3 oz. butter 2 oz. light brown sugar 1 oz. dark brown sugar 1 1/2 oz. dark corn syrup 30 Carolyn’s Gourmet Sweet & Salty™ pecan halves, to decorate

Lightly grease several baking sheets.

Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and the spices into a bowl. Stir in the chopped pecans.

Beat the butter with the sugars until very soft, light and fluffy. Beat in the corn syrup, then mix in the flour and nut mixture. Knead the dough very lightly on a floured surface until smooth.

Divide the dough into 1/2 oz. pieces. Roll each one into a ball and place on the greased baking sheets, spacing the balls well apart. Flatten each ball of dough with a fork, then press a pecan nut half into the center of each one.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, until just lightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool slightly on the baking sheets, then remove with a spatula to racks to cool completely.

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Pecan Cookies II

1 egg white 1 1/2 oz. granulated sugar 3 oz. Carolyn’s Gourmet Sweet & Salty™ pecans, finely ground small pieces of pecans, to decorate

Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk the egg whites until very stiff, then fold in the sugar and the ground pecans. Put the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe stars of the mixture onto parchment paper, spacing them one inch apart. Press a small piece of pecan into the center of each star.

Bake the cookies at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, until firm. Allow to cool completely, then remove the cookies from the parchment paper, tearing it away from the edges.

To serve, arrange both types of cookies together on a doily-lined plate or in a basket. Serve with eggnog.

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Spiced Pecan Pie

1 1/2 recipes pastry dough 1/2 tsp anise seed 1 1/4 cups sugar 2 1/2 cups light corn syrup (about 20 oz) 6 large eggs 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground ginger a pinch ground cloves 1/8 tsp salt 2 cups Carolyn’s Gourmet Sweet & Salty™ pecan halves (about 8 oz)

On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll out pastry dough into a 17-inch round (about 1/8-inch thick). Fit dough into a 10-inch glass pie plate (1 1/2 quarts), and crimp edge decoratively. Chill shell, covered, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In an electric coffee/spice grinder finely grind anise seeds. In a dry heavy saucepan, cook 1/2 cup sugar over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork (to help sugar melt evenly), until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel, without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden. Add corn syrup and simmer, stirring occasionally, until caramel is dissolved (caramel becomes hard, then soften, before dissolving).

In a bowl, whisk together remaining 3/4 cup sugar, eggs, spices, and salt. Remove pan from heat and cool caramel mixture until it stops bubbling. In a slow stream, carefully whisk caramel mixture into egg mixture. Spread pecans in shell and pour in filling, tapping down pecans to coat thoroughly.

Bake pie in middle of oven until crust is pale golden, 40 to 45 minutes (filling will not be set), and transfer to a rack to cool completely (filling will continue to set as pie cools).

Serve pie with super-premium vanilla ice cream.

Serves 8 to 10.

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Pastry Dough

3/4 stick (6 tbsp) cold unsalted butter 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 tbsp cold vegetable shortening 1/4 tsp salt 2 to 4 tbsp ice water

The amount of water necessary to make pastry dough is likely to change slightly from time to time, depending on variables such as humidity and the moisture content of butter and even, believe it or not, flour.

Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes.

To blend by hand: In a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender, blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with remainder in small (roughly pea-sized lumps). Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture, and gently stir with a fork until incorporated. Test mixture by gently squeezing a small handful. When it has proper texture, it should hold together without crumbling apart. If necessary, add enough remaining water; 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until incorporated and testing, to give mixture proper texture. (If you overwork mixture or add too much water, pastry will be tough.)

To blend in food processor: In a food processor, pulse together flour, butter, shortening, and salt until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with remainder in small (roughly pea-sized lumps). Add 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse 2 or 3 times, or just until incorporated. Test mixture by gently squeezing a small handful. When it has proper texture it should hold together without crumbling apart. If necessary, add enough remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing 2 or 3 times after each addition, until incorporated and testing, to give mixture proper texture. (If you overprocess mixture, or add too much water, pastry will be tough.)

To form dough after blending by either method: Turn mixture out onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of hand, smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together and form it, rotating it on work surface, into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day. Makes enough dough for a single crust 9-inch pie or an 11-inch tart.

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Pear and Pecan Salad Dressing:

1/2 cup oil 3 tbsp white or cider vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp celery seed 1/4 tsp salt

Salad:

4 cups torn lettuce, such as Bibb (Boston) or Red leaf 1 ripe pear, cored and sliced or chopped 2 oz blue cheese, crumbled 1/4 cup toasted Carolyn’s Gourmet Sweet & Salty™ pecans

In jar with tight-fitting lid, combine all dressing ingredients except pecans. Shake until well blended and sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate to blend flavors. Just before serving, arrange salad ingredients on individual salad plates, or combine all salad ingredients in large bowl. Pour dressing over salad. Sprinkle chopped pecans on salad just before serving.

Serves 4.

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Cranberry Pecan Pie

If you’re planning on making this pie ahead of time, it will keep in the refrigerator for up to five days. For longer storage, wrap tightly with plastic freezer wrap and freeze. Thaw at room temperature.

1/2 box (10 oz.) piecrust mix 1/2 cup finely chopped Carolyn’s Gourmet Sweet & Salty™ pecans 1 pkg (12 oz.) cranberries (about 3 1/2 cups) 1/2 cup dark corn syrup 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/4 cup butter or margarine 3 tbsp cornstarch 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup Carolyn’s Gourmet Sweet & Salty™ pecan halves (4 oz.)

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a single 9-inch pie crust according to package directions under "Variations", stirring chopped pecans into one cup of the mix before starting. Roll out pie dough and fit into 9" pie plate, turning edges under and fluting. Refrigerate piecrust while making filling.

In medium saucepan, combine cranberries, corn syrup, water, brown sugar, and butter. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 minutes or until skins on cranberries begin to pop. Stir cornstarch and salt into sugar, then stir into cranberry mixture. Cook until mixture bubbles and thickens, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour mixture into pie shell, and top with pecan halves. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until crust and pecans are lightly browned. Remove to wire rack and cool completely.

Serves 12.

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Baked Pecan-Stuffed Tangerines

1/3 cup Carolyn’s Gourmet Sweet & Salty™ pecan halves 2 1/2 tbsp sugar 1 large egg yolk 2 firm-ripe nectarines

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a small food processor, pulse pecans until finely ground. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and egg yolk and pulse until combined. Halve and pit nectarines and arrange, cut sides up, on a small baking sheet. Divide pecan mixture among nectarine halves, mounding it in center, and garnish each mound with a pecan half. Sprinkle nectarines with remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar.

Bake stuffed nectarines in middle of oven until pecan mixture is golden, about 10 minutes.

Garnish with 4 pecan halves. Serve with super-premium vanilla ice cream.

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Brie with Pecans

1 large wheel Brie Carolyn’s Gourmet Sweet & Salty™ pecans, setting aside whole halves for decorating the top 1 tbsp melted unsalted butter Crackers or crusty French bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat a long-bladed thin knife by running it under very hot water for 1-2 minutes. Unwrap wheel of Brie and set on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Slice Brie in half horizontally using warmed knife, setting top aside.

Place half of the pecans on the bottom half of the Brie. Cover with top half of Brie, cut sides together. Decorate top of Brie, with remaining whole pecan halves and brush with the melted butter. Bake the Brie for 10 minutes or until the cheese is warm but not melting.

Serve at once with crackers or crusty French bread.

Serves 10 to 12.