Recipes

Makes about 10 cups

Ingredients

About 8 cups plain popcorn
1 cup pecans or any nuts on hand, coarsely chopped and toasted
¾ stick unsalted butter
1½ cups pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon salt

Directions

Toss popcorn and pecans in a large bowl. Line bottom of a 17-by-11-inch 4-sided sheet pan with foil, then lightly oil foil. Melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add maple syrup and salt and boil (still over medium heat), without stirring, until thermometer registers 300°F, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour syrup over pecans and popcorn, stirring briskly with a lightly oiled spoon or silicone spatula to coat, then immediately spread popcorn in pan in 1 layer. Cool completely, then break into bite-size pieces.

Makes 6

INGREDIENTS

1 stick of unsalted butter
½ cup honey (plus more from drizzling)
½ cup brown rice syrup
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup mascarpone cheese
½ cup creme fraiche
Store bought frozen puff pastry (thawed and brought to room temperature)
½ cup chopped and toasted pecans

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Melt butter over the stove. Stir in honey, brown rice syrup, and sugar, and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat and allow for it to cool.

Combine mascarpone and creme fraiche in a bowl and set aside.

Roll out puff pastry into large rectangle (this size will depend on brand of puff pastry) about the thickness of ¼”.

Brush dough with honey mixture going to about 1″ around. Next, spread mascarpone mixture evenly on top anf top with pecans.

Roll into a log and pinch seams to seal. Cut into 6.

Pour remaining honey mixture evening into muffin tins or loaf pan and place buns cut side down in pan.

Place buns in lower third of the oven and rotate half way through. Cook for about 35-40 minutes, cover with foil if they get too dark.

Drizzle with honey and serve warm.

©Recipe courtesy of Ashton Keefe.

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

2 cups fresh sage leaves
1 cup dried cranberries
½ cup pecans, toasted
1 cup Walnut or Pecan oil
Salt

PREPARATION

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until everything is incorporated.
Season with salt to taste.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cup pecans, halved
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
1 cup brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups fresh cranberries, chopped

Sage Crust

INGREDIENTS

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
1 ½ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup ice water
2 teaspoons apple cider
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped fine
Pinch of baking powder

PREPARATION

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, chopping with a pastry cutter until a crumbly dough forms.  Roll out to a round circle and fill a tart shell mold.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until slightly golden.

Preheat over to 350 degrees F.

Toast the pecans on a lined baking sheet for about 5-6 minutes. 

In a medium heavy bottom sauce pan heat sugar over medium heat, letting it slowly melt, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until the sugar is a golden caramel color.  Remove from pan and add butter and brown rice syrup, stirring well.  Whisk together in a separate bowl whisk together eggs, salt, and vanilla.  Add caramel to the egg mixture gently stirring well.  Mix together cranberries and pecan in a bowl and add evenly to tart shell.  Pour mixture over the pecan cranberry mixture evenly.  Bake tart for about 30-40 minutes or until the filling is set up and semi firm.  Allow to cool for about 2 hours.

For a delicious dessert, how about some worm-ridden baked apples.

INGREDIENTS

6 firm large apples
⅓ cup raisins
⅓ cup chopped pecans
½ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup water
½ stick butter
2 sage leaves
¼ tsp nutmeg (optional)
¼ tsp cinnamon (optional)
½ scraped vanilla bean
6-10 candy worms
12 fried basil leaves (optional)

PREPARATION

Core apples ½ way down the center from the stem-side, leaving the stem intact. Mix raisins and pecans and stuff into the cavity of the apples. Set the apples in a pan. In a saucepan, melt butter with the sage leaves. Remove the leaves and mix in brown sugar, water and stir over high heat until the mixture boils. Take off the heat and add nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla. Pour the sugar mixture over the apples and bake in a 350°F oven until tender (about 30-35 minutes).

Cool the apples and set each one in a small bowl. Spoon any liquid from the bottom of the pan onto each apple. Make 1-2 holes in each apple and set the candy worm inside making it dangle.

For a real-looking effect (that also happens to be delicious!), fry basil leaves in 2 tbsp butter for 30 seconds on each side. Place on a paper towel and sprinkle with sugar. Secure the leaves on either side of the stem to the tops of your apples with peanut butter on the underside. Serve with vanilla ice cream.