Candied Pecans

These candied pecans are so simple and are awesome by themselves or as a garnish. I have made candied nuts in the microwave before (ugh, I know what you are thinking) and was disappointed to say the least. This recipe calls for an egg white which allows the sugar mixture to stick really well to the nut and makes for the crunchiest candied pecan with plenty of sugar in each bite! Just how we like them around here.

Make sure you buy a little better quality pecans. I have made this a few times and the times in which I used more expensive nuts were the times Danny and I popped them like popcorn. As a garnish, I like to put them on top of Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake. 

Candied Pecans
(adapted from recipe at AllRecipes.com)



Ingredients:

• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 pound pecan halves
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directons:

1. Easy as pie! Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Mix egg white and water in bowl. Add pecans and stir to coat. Add the sugars, salt, and cinnamon and mix until evenly coated.
2. Spread pecan mixture on nonstick or lightly greased cookie sheet. Cook for 1 hour (seems long but so worth it!) giving the nuts a stir every 15 minutes. Eat them hot or let them cool and enjoy! :)

feeding Beary his first candied pecan

going in for a smooch

there she goes

MUAH!

I hope you all have a relaxing Thanksgiving filled with people you love! We are heading down to San Luis Obispo to spend time with my grandparents. We are looking forward to some good food and family :)

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my go-to recipe when I want a chocolate chip cookie fix. It isn't anything fancy, but its quick and the clean up is minimal. I can get these cookies in the oven in under ten minutes. Love that! I even made them in a jiffy last weekend when our friends that had come over for dinner were sitting around chatting. 

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies
(adapted from recipe at Food.com)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter
• one egg plus one yolk
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups plus 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips (1/2 milk chocolate and 1/2 semisweet)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Get 2 (smaller and larger) bowls, and 1 wooden spoon. Melt butter in smaller non-plastic bowl, 45 seconds in the microwave. Pour into bigger bowl. Re-microwave smaller bowl for 10 seconds. Crack eggs into warm smaller bowl. Let sit while mixing sugar into butter with wooden spoon in the larger bowl. Add vanilla, salt, and baking soda to larger bowl and mix until smooth. Add eggs. Stir again. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time until all blended. Lastly, fold in chocolate chips.
3. Spoon large heaps of dough (small ice cream scoop size) onto ungreased cookie sheet, six on a sheet. Leave dough in lumpy heaps on the cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, rotate sheet, then bake another 8 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet. Remove and enjoy! Makes 12 cookies.

yum!

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake with Candied Pecans

This heavenly dessert is the best of both worlds. I mean, who doesn't like pumpkin pie or cheesecake!? Even better, this is such a simple recipe and if you don't have little toddler wanting to help with everything (love that!) then it doesn't take much time. One of my favorite things about this cheesecake is the crust. I thought I would stray from the traditional graham cracker crust and try something new. Glad that I did, because it was delish! It is a mix of ginger snaps and shortbread cookies. Need I say more!?

Ingredients:



12 Ginger Cookies
12 Shortbread Cookies
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup butter melted
3  8oz. packages brick cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 dash ground cloves

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Pulse cookies and pecans in high powered blender or food processor. Combine mixture and melted butter in a medium bowl. Press into bottom of 9 in. springform pan. 

the beginning of my favorite crust!

2. Beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition until just blended. Remove one cup of plain batter and set aside in small bowl. Stir remaining 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, and spices into remaining batter. Spoon pumpkin batter into crust, top with spoonfuls of reserved plain batter. Cut through batters with a butter knife several times for marble effect. 

3.  Bake 50 minutes, or until center is almost set. Once center is almost set, turn off oven and let cheesecake sit in oven until it cools, about an hour. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Cut into 12 slices and top with whipped cream and candied pecans.