Tag Archives: pecans

Caramelized Bacon

There were a few recipes at Stevens Catering that we could not make enough of. Guests kept coming back for more until it was all gone. This is one of those recipes. I finally learned to ask clients how much to make and they understood when it was gone I would remove the serving dish from the table and guests would eat other things. Ina Garten did a great job on this recipe and it is just that good. Enjoy!

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Caramelized Bacon

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof, Ina Garten, page 31
Course Appetizer, Party Food
Cuisine American
Keyword bacon, brown sugar, cayenne, maple syrup, pecans

Equipment

  • sheet pan
  • Food processor

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
  • 1/2 cup chopped or whole pecans
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 pound thick-sliced Applewood-smoked bacon I use Wright's Hickory Smoked

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil (for easy cleaning) and place a wire baking rack on top.
  • Combine the brown sugar and pecans in a food processor and process until the pecans are finely ground. Add the salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper and pulse to combine. Add the maple syrup and pulse again to moisten the crumbs.
  • Cut each bacon slice in half crosswise and line up the pieces on the baking rack without touching. With a small spoon, evenly spread the pecan mixture on top of each piece of bacon, using all of the mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the topping is very browned but not burnt. If it's underbaked, the bacon won't crisp as it cools.
  • While its hot, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside to cool. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

These can be made early in the day and stored at room temperature.

This post includes affiliate links where I may get a small commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

    Italian Cream Cheese Cake, Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Icing Recipe for both!

    By special request, I am posting the recipe for Carrot Cake—or was it Italian Cream Cheese Cake??? I cant remember, so you are getting both with the recipe for icing that is used on both.

    I changed my opinion of Cream Cheese Icing when I saw this recipe in Baking and Pastry Cookbook from The Culinary Institute of America. It seemed that my recipe was runny no matter how much powdered sugar was added. I realized that the large amount of cream cheese and butter made this recipe light and fluffy without a lot of sweetness from the powdered sugar. That’s when we started using this recipe at Stevens Catering.

    The recipe for Carrot Cake is large, but is well worth the effort. You can always bake 2 smaller cakes and freeze one. Butavan is a commercial flavoring that is no longer being marketed. It can be substituted with 1/2 vanilla and 1/2 butter flavoring. It is a good product and used in commercial cakes. If you would like to try something similar, I have put a link below. Enjoy!

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    Italian Cream Cake

    Carrie won 1st place at the Angelina Youth Fair with this recipe. She garnished it with fresh pansies!
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Keyword cake, coconut, cream cheese, pecans

    Equipment

    • 3 9" round pans
    • stand mixer

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups sugar
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 stick margarine/ butter
    • 1 cup buttermilk
    • 1/2 cup shortening
    • 2 cups coconut
    • 5 eggs
    • 1 cup pecans chopped
    • 2 cups flour
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla

    Cream Cheese Icing- from The Culinary Institute, Baking and Pastry Book, Page 422

    • 2 8 ounce packages cream cheese
    • 2 sticks butter
    • 8 ounces powdered sugar
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla

    Instructions

    • Cream sugar, butter, and shortening. Beat in egg yolks one at a time. Combine flour and soda. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to creamed mixture .
    • In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites and vanilla into batter. Stir in coconut and pecans. Bake in three layers at 350 degree F for 25 minutes.
    • Frost layers with Cream Cheese Icing.

    Notes

    Cream Cheese Icing
    • 2- 8 ounce pkg cream cheese
    • 1 lb. powdered sugar
    • 2 sticks butter
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla
    1. Blend the cream cheese in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low speed until smooth.
    2. Add the butter, in stages, and blend well.  Add the confectioners’  sugar and blend on low speed until fully incorporated.  Beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Blend in the vanilla.
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    Cap’s Carrot Cake

    Recipe from Earlene's Cakes http://www.earlenescakes.com
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Keyword cake, carrots, pineapple, toasted pecans

    Equipment

    • stand mixer
    • cake pans

    Ingredients

    • 4 cups sugar
    • 3 cups vegetable oil
    • 6 whole eggs
    • 4 cups flour
    • 2 cups cake flour
    • 4 teaspoons baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
    • 4 cups carrots grated
    • 1 15 ounce can crushed pineapple with juice
    • 1 cup pecans chopped
    • 2 tablespoons Butavan can use half vanilla and half butter flavoring

    Instructions

    • Maximun for a 5 qt. mixing bowl.
    • Beat sugar, oil and eggs until thoroughly creamed.
    • Measure flours, soda, salt and cinnamon and mix together. Add to wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
    • Add carrots, pineapple, pecan and flavoring. Mix well.
    • Fill pans 1/2 full. Makes 3- 10 inch layers.
    • Bake at 300 degrees F for 55 minutes for small cakes and up to 1 1/2 hour for large cakes.
    • Cool layers and frost with Cream Cheese Icing.

    Notes

    This is a large recipe but well worth the effort

    Note, this post includes affiliate links where I may get a small commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. The Carrot Cake calls for a 5 qt. mixer as shown below. Since I have burned up several mixers except the one made by Hobart, I look for Hobart Kitchen Aide Mixers at estate sales. Of course, I was using them everyday commercially. For home use this type will do fine. Thanks for your support.

      Thanksgiving Meal- Sweet Potato Casserole

      It would not be Thanksgiving or Christmas at Sweets & Eats without Sweet Potato Casserole; and thanks to my best friend and her mother, we have a great recipe. 

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      Sweet Potato Casserole

      Source:  Adapted from Carolyn Bates Carlisle and her Mother,  Christine Bates, fondly known as Tetot
      Course Side Dish
      Cuisine American
      Keyword brown sugar, pecans, streusel topping, sweet potatoes

      Ingredients

      • 5 cups warm mashed sweet potatoes
      • 1 cup sugar
      • 1 stick butter
      • 2 each eggs slightly beaten
      • 1 dash salt
      • 1 teaspoon vanilla
      • 2/3 cups milk use up to this amount if dry

      Instructions

      • Mix all ingredients and place in a greased casserole. Mix in separate bowl the following ingredients for a streusel topping:
        1/2 cup light brown sugar
        1/4 cup flour
        1/2 cup pecans, chopped
        1/2 stick butter, melted
        dash salt
      • Mix streusel and pour over sweet potatoes.  Bake 350 F. for 30 minutes.

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