Chocolate Pecan Pie Bar Cookies

Yesterday was a windy bleary day so I headed to the kitchen and baked.  I chose to update an old recipe that I believe originally came from BHG.  It combines my favorite pecan pie, sugar cookie and chocolate.   They are super easy to make and delightfully delicious. Hubs liked them so much I thought I might have to hide them!  P.S. look for more delicious chocolatey recipes in the Ultimate Chocolate Recipe Challenge at the bottom of this post.

My Holiday House tour 2012.

Let it snow and enjoy nature.

The snowman vignette.  Those snowballs...just styrofoam, no crafting required! 

I'm decorating in two houses this year,  mine and mom's.  I'm spending a lot more time with her because  I can and want to. She's having total hip replacement in January and another in about March.  Several of my blogs recently have stemmed from some great quality time there.  If you still have your parents, I encourage you to take advantage of your time and share it with them.

Mantel

Pecans waiting to be shelled on the hearth.

A vintage decorative box, recycled vanilla bottle,
styrofoam "snow"ball on a vintage doily.

Break time happens here :-)

Fresh greenery and crepe myrtle branches from the yard in our ash bucket
with a few more snow balls.

The kitchen is where the holidays begin, those decorations can be seen here.

At mom's house:  You can see how we changed the old, way too big, fake tree into an adorable table top masterpiece here. the door DIY sock wreath  I made for mom here and check out the cinnamon/applesauce garland here.  If you're interested in seeing the fabulous west Texas sunsets or other things I found cool, check out my Instagram site here. You can find soup recipes that were adapted for the two of us that are heart healthy and diabetic friendly here and here.

Pecan pie and an extra easy pie crust!

This week, while at my mom's, I tried a recipe for pie crust I have never used before.  I'll admit that I often used a store bought pie shell for the ease-never again! I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the recipe came together and how good it tastes.  As a matter of fact, I was so happy with it, I decided to share it with all of you.  It came from an old cowboy cook book mom had.  Real cowboys!  Men that road the trail, branded cows, fixed fences and ate out of a chuck wagon, just like her daddy did.   No cutting in the shortening or waiting for the dough to chill.  Dump all the ingredients in a bowl and stir with a fork, then roll out the crust between wax paper, peel back the wax paper, place the upside down pie pan on the crust, turn it over, peel off the other piece of wax paper.  REALLY!

Pie Crust

Mix together all at once using a fork:

• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 2 Cups flour

This recipe will make two 9" crusts.  Roll the crust out between wax paper then transfer to a pie pan.

Growing up, we ate a lot pie around our house.  During one after dinner conversation with my grown up siblings we discussed our favorite pie.  I love peach, my sister is a cherry pie addict, the two brothers liked chocolate and pecan.   Dad came in from doing some chores and mom asked him what his favorite pie was.  He LOVED pie.  He thought for a minute or two, cocked his head side ways and said, "I like cold pie... I like hot pie too, though."  I guess this was a testament to mom's pie baking abilities.

This week one of my aunts brought us enough shelled pecans for 2 pies (plus a few to munch on...) from the family farm.  This is the recipe I used and the one my son shared with his wife.  I sure hope she doesn't hold it against me that he thinks I make such a good pie.  She is a pretty darn good cook herself.

I love how easy a pecan pie is to make.  One bowl, measure cup and measure spoons and a pie crust.

Texas Pecan Pie

Measure 1 and 1/2 cups shelled pecan halves into an unbaked pie shell.  Set aside.
In a bowl, mix:

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 stick melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 cup light Karo syrup
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/8 teaspoon (a pinch) salt

Pour over pecans in the unbaked pie crust.  Bake on center rack of 375 F oven for one hour.  I like to bake pies on a cookie sheet.  It makes transferring the pie from counter to oven and back again easy plus...any spill over is easy to clean up.  If the pie doesn't jiggle in the middle when you shake the pan slightly, it's done.  Let it completely cool before serving. 

ya'll enjoy!

I like to link up here

Fall pecan harvest and Pralines:

It may be elementary, my dear...but I'd like to take this opportunity to share some pecan shelling techniques.

The pecan trees on our family farm have been there since my dad was a boy (he was born 1926).  He told us a story about a flood that filled the lower part of the farm with a LOT of water.  When it receded the "bottom" had a new thick layer of sandy silt and the next spring pecan trees came up along the higher water bank edge.  More were planted creating a beautiful orchard that we love to wander through.  There have been many family gatherings there for Easter hunts, July 4 Fish Fry's, domino games, and harvesting.  Sometimes we go there just to absorb the air and history.  The trees are huge but the nuts are a bit small.  Larger pecans are usually the result of human intervention and grafting larger hybrid pecan stock onto a hardier tree base.  Our pecans and trees are a gift from God, they are what they are.

The last several years of Texas drought have been tough on the trees and the fruit.  Many of the pecans are smaller than usual and some have dry or blackened meat.  I shelled 4 cups of whole pecans and had to toss about a dozen bad nuts out.  Out of 4 cups whole nuts I have 2 cups shelled pecan meat.  Here is a photo that shows the pecans as they appear during the final days of ripening.

Once the pods turn black and crack open the nuts will easily fall out.  Tree shakers are hired to clamp onto the tree and shake them loose.  That is quite a site to see.  But before the trees are completely ready for a shaker crew, they can be hand gathered off the ground.  That's what my family did last week.

Now, how to get the meat out of the shell.  Oh, that reminded me of a funny epitaph I saw on a tombstone in the local cemetery.  The guy had a sense of humor and definitely gets the last laugh. Click here to see it.
OK, I'm Back...

Choose your tools.  I had three on hand to choose from.  Our favorite cannon loading tool is packed away for our intended moving day.  I do have three other choices here.

You can use a nut/shell cracker, hammer, or my 2nd fave is a specially designed sheller that snips away the shell like scissors.

Now, we have enough shelled and ready, let's bake something.  How about one of my favorite candy recipes (from my sister).

Mexican Candy

Mexican Candy (a praline like candy)

Place in a microwave safe bowl and set aside: 

• 2 Cups coarsely chopped pecans. 

Mix in a pan and cook over medium heat to a soft ball stage, stirring continually (use a wooden spoon to avoid crystalization):

• 1 1/2 Cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 Cups evaporated milk
• 1/2 Cup butter
• 3 Tablespoons light Karo syrup
• dash of salt

Add and mix well: 

• 1 Cup miniature marshmallows

Remove from heat to cool about 5 minutes.  

Add and beat mixture using a mixer until it begins to harden (a minute or so):

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Pour the mixture over the pecans.
Stir together well.

If it gets too hard too quickly, put it in the microwave 20-30 seconds.  

Drop by heaping Tablespoons full onto wax paper.  I use a cookie scoop for a nice size praline.

Allow the candy to cool completely and to dry out a bit.
This recipe makes about 24 candies.

This is the easiest and most successful praline recipe I've ever used.  I have made these and bagged them in little draw string bags purchased in the wedding supply section at Walmart for both teacher gifts (70 teachers where I worked!) and as favors for a wedding reception.

Linking:
Thinking Outside the Blog
French quisine Friday recipe link up

Lavender and Pecans

Some days are so blessed I can hardly believe it.  

Baby Grand roaming free through the trees.

Here's a little stash that fell on some bark.

While out for my Autumn weekend playing with the little grands at the family farm, we were privileged to collect pecans from the early Pecan tree.  So, while enjoying Lavender Shortbread, I also will spend time cracking and shelling fresh pecans.  Below are some photo's of my weekend tromping around the Pecan trees and a couple of close ups of the pecans.  Later this week...baking with pecans! (and Lynda...there will be some coming your way as a thank you.)

The green pod is how the pecans look 
before they are ready for harvest.
As they ripen the husk turns brown and cracks open
allowing the pecans to fall out to the ground.

Texas Autumn is usually brown in this area.  We have been blessed with some not so normal Autumn rain that turned things green again.  It was great to enjoy the weather and lawn like fields.  This spot is where we hold our annual family fish fry.

Little Grand just before this grasshopper jumped
and she ran away screeching!

Check back Monday to see how to shell a pecan and 
for a pecan recipe.

Lavender's Blue, dilly dilly...

In the Friday mail came an envelope with Melissa Lavender from a sweet blogger named Lynda at Bloom Bake Create.  She wrote a blog about making Lavender Shortbread Cookies and offered to send some lucky readers enough to make her cookies.  I was very intrigued as I have never seen lavender sold for culinary use...actually here in Texas I have rarely seen it sold anywhere, so I quickly responded to her for the lavender give away.  I'm telling you-the aroma when opening the envelope was H.E.A.V.E.N.L.Y (Little Grand spells everything when she is trying to really get her point across in larger than life words).

Lynda also sent a lavender sachet she made for scenting a hot soaking bath or to place under the pillow for a restful sleep.  I hung my little bag on the bed finial because it's so cute. Thanks Lynda, it has been a real treat!

My weekend was already committed so I could hardly wait for my return home to make Lynda's cookies.  Making these cookies was wonderful  They gave the house a smell I'm sure I will remember in my dreams for years; the way you close your eyes at Christmas and let the smells take you back to special moments like sitting around your Grandmother's table with all the family.  Even if the cookies hadn't come out so wonderful, the smell would be worth the effort of cooking them!  Be sure to check out Her site for all kinds of cool stuff.

Make Lynda's cookie recipe or any short bread/rolled sugar cookie recipe.  Add 2 Tablespoons of Melissa Lavender that is ground with 2 Tablespoon of sugar and if you like pecans, add 1/2 Cup finely chopped pecans.

Thanks for stopping by.