Recipe: Pecan Pie Bars

The Taste Of Texas

The Texas Pecan.

No other nut will make a Texan stand up and sing “Deep In The Heart Of Texas” more than by the mere mention our great state’s tree: the Pecan. Click this link, if you think I’m kidding. :)

One of Texas’ most famous streets, 6th Street runs through the heart of downtown Austin into the setting sun to the west. Many folks – even locals – don’t know the history of this street’s original name: Pecan Street. Read this interesting blurb from the Pecan Street Festival‘s website:

“When Edwin Waller designed Austin’s street grid, he named north-south streets after Texas rivers and recommended numeric designations for east-west streets. Instead, they were named after trees. That decision was later reversed, and they were renamed with numbers. Though Pecan Street became Sixth Street, the festival honors its original name.”

Whether you were born here or moved here, this Pecan Pie bar recipe is a tasty Texas treat that will delight the young and young at heart!

Foodie Tips:

❤  While these “set” in the fridge, I prefer my pecan bars served at room temperature. Think soft and chewy.

❤  I amped this recipe up with the addition of Texas-made Falfurrias Brand Butter and Pecan Street Rum, which is distilled just outside Austin’s city limits, in Pflugerville. After one taste of the rum in hot chocolate I was hooked!

Ingredients:

For The Crust:
1 ¼ Sticks (10 Tablespoons)  |  Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
3 Tablespoons  |  Granulated Sugar
1 Large  |  Cage Free Egg
¾ Teaspoon  |  Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Cup + 2 Tablespoons  |  All-Purpose Flour
¼ Teaspoon  |  Baking Powder
⅛ Teaspoon  |  Kosher Salt

For The Top:
1 Stick (½ Cup)  |  Unsalted Butter
¼ Cup  |  Light Corn Syrup
¼ Cup  |  Pecan Street Rum, Yee Haw! (optional)
¾ Cup  |  Light Brown Sugar, Packed
1 Tablespoon  |  Heavy Cream
½ Pound  |  Texas Pecans, Chopped

What To Do:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.

2. To prepare the crust, beat the butter and sugar in a medium-sized bowl with an electric mixer or KitchenAid. Gosh, I love my KitchenAid! Beat until light, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.

3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the butter batter on low speed until everything is well-combined.

4. Press the dough into an ungreased 8″ x 8″ baking dish, forming an edge like you would a pie crust (see above). While forming, lightly sprinkle the dough and your hands with flour to make things easier (the dough will be a bit sticky).

5. Bake the dough for 15 minutes until it has set, but not browned. Set the crust aside to cool and head on to step 6!

6. To make the topping, combine the butter, corn syrup, rum (if using) and brown sugar in a large saucepan. Cook over low heat until the butter is melted, stirring with a wooden spoon along the way. Raise the heat and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

7. Stir in the heavy cream and pecans. Pour over the crust, trying not to get the gooey topping between the crust and the pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the topping has set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

8. Wrap your dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. Cut into bar-sized pieces and transfer to a serving plate.

Yield: About 9 servings. Enjoy them one by one!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Email: JoePaul@KW.com
Mobile: 512-222-3302
Web: JoePaul.KWRealty.com

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes – there’s more than 50 recipes here on the Home Style Austin blog!

Served Solo Or With An Ice Cream Sidekick, Pecan Bars Are Delicious!

 

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

My Favorite Cookie

This recipe is a family favorite and I whipped up a few batches for the holidays … because cookies make everything better! What makes this my favorite? I think it’s the special blend of chocolate, oatmeal, pecans and two sugars that do not disappoint the tastebuds.

Foodie Tips:

❤  At an early age I quickly learned that here in Texas that “nuts” is an abbreviation for “Texas Pecans.”

❤  If you like chewy cookies like I do make sure and don’t bake these too long!

Ingredients: 

1 Cup  |  Crisco
1 Teaspoon  |  Vanilla
1 Cup  |  Sugar
½ Cup  |  Brown Sugar (firmly packed)
2  |  Cage Free Eggs
1 Teaspoon  |  Baking Soda
3 Teaspoons  |  Baking Powder
1 ¾ Cups  |  Flour
1 Cup  |  Oatmeal
1 Cup  |  Nuts (a.k.a. Texas Pecans)

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. That was easy!

2. Combine shortening, vanilla and sugars and cream well. Add well-beaten eggs and blend thoroughly.

3. Sift soda and baking powder with flour and add to the creamed mixture.

4. Add oatmeal and nuts and blend.

5. Drop on cookie sheet with a cookie scoop or teaspoon.

6. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest on a cooling rack.

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes!

Firecracker Coleslaw Recipe

Bring Color And Flavor To Your Table

With our taste buds searching for a different kind of slaw we rested on this firecracker coleslaw recipe which we find perfect for the Fourth of July and family BBQs.

This is a colorful dish that’s fresh, crunchy and packs some delightful heat thanks to our trusted friend – the jalapeño. In coleslaw? Keep it tastefully weird, right?! This dish is extremely flexible and you can experiment by introducing your own favorite ingredients.

We never stray too far away from the original recipe.

Foodie Tips:

❤  Ingredients that sometimes make a cameo in our dish include fresh crumbled bacon or some chopped Texas pecans.

❤  For those searching for less heat you can reduce or eliminate the fresh jalapeño or add a bit more cabbage.

Ingredients:

The Dressing
1 ½ Tablespoons  |  Salt
1 Clove  |  Garlic, Minced
½ Cup  |  Cider Vinegar
⅓ Cup  |  Sugar
2 Tablespoons  |  Mustard (We’re keen for Trader Joe’s Garlic Aioli Mustard)
2 Tablespoons  |  Vegetable Oil
2 Tablespoons  |  Juice From The Jar Of Pickled Jalapeños (from below)
1 ½ Teaspoons  |  Hot Sauce (we used Hot Picapeppa Sauce)
½ Teaspoon  |  Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
½ Teaspoon  |  Celery Seed

The Slaw
½ Small  |  Green Cabbage, Cored and Shredded
½ Small  |  Red Cabbage, Cored and Shredded
3  |  Carrots, Peeled and Grated
1 Each  |  Red, Green and Yellow Bell Peppers, Seeded and Thinly Slivered
2  |  Fresh Jalapeño Peppers, Seeded and Thinly Sliced
2 Tablespoons  |  Minced Pickled Jalapeño Peppers

Directions: 

1. To prepare the dressing combine the salt and garlic in a large mixing bowl by pressing them together with the back of a spoon to make a paste.

2. Add the remaining eight dressing ingredients and whisk until everything is well-combined. Set aside.

3. Add the six slaw ingredients to the dressing and toss/mix well. Let the slaw rest in your fridge for 30 minutes or up to a few hours. This slaw is best served fresh but will last into the following day.

Yield: 10+ servings (enough for a family picnic or party)

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes!

Spicy Stuffed Cornbread Recipe

Cornbread With A Kick

This week with cold, icy weather blowing into Austin, there’s nothing I like better than cooking in a warm kitchen.

This spicy stuffed cornbread recipe packs a flavorful kick and will transform mere yellow cornbread mix into a sensationally savory dish that you can eat solo or paired with your favorite main course, like my family’s recipe for homemade chili.

You’ll never think of mere cornbread the same way again! And it surely warms-up the chilliest of days … and nights.

Foodie Tip:

❤  For an extra-savory dish you can add some browned beef or chorizo to amp-up the cornbread.

Ingredients: 

the stuffing:

15.25 Ounce Can  |  Whole Kernel Fiesta Corn, Drained
15 Ounce Can  |  HEB Texas Style Borracho Beans With Shiner Bock, Drained
7 Ounce Can  |  Diced Green Chiles, Drained
1  |  Fresh Jalapeño, Diced (Including Seeds)
To Taste  |  Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
1 Pat  |  Butter (I suggest Falfurrias Brand Butter)
2 Cups  |  Colby Jack or Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
2-3  |  Green Onions, Sliced Thin (Optional Garnish)

the cornbread: 

You can use your favorite packaged cornbread or if you’re shy of one, here’s a recipe I like to make from scratch:

1 ¼ Cups  |  All-Purpose Flour
¾ Cup  |  Quaker Brand Enriched Corn Meal
¼ Cup  |  Sugar
2 Teaspoons  |  Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon   |  Salt
1 Cup  |  Whole Milk
¼ Cup  |  Vegetable Oil
1  |  Cage Free Egg, Beaten

Directions: 

0. Preheat oven to 400°F (or to the baking temperature specified for your chosen cornbread recipe).

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the first five ingredients for the stuffing. Set aside.

2. Prepare your cornbread mix according to package instructions. If making the scratch cornbread recipe (from above) combine all dry ingredients together. Add the milk, oil and egg and stir. Set aside.

3. Butter a 9-inch square skillet or pan. Place the skillet (or pan) into your warm oven for about 5 minutes.

4. Remove your warmed skillet from the oven. Add half your cornbread mixture into the skillet. Top the cornbread mixture with your stuffing mixture. Add 1 cup of the cheese on top then pour the rest of the cornbread mixture on the very top.

5. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until light golden brown and a knife or wooden pick inserted in the center removes clean.

6. Remove the stuffed cornbread from the oven, sprinkle the last cup of cheese on top then return to the oven until the cheese is bubbly awesome.

7. Remove the cornbread from the oven, garnish with some green onions (if you’d like) the let rest a few minutes.

Serve warm and enjoy!

 

 

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes!

Monkey Bread Recipe

Perfect For Breakfast Gatherings

True Texans will go nuts for this sugary-simple recipe. Literally!

We took the time honored monkey bread recipe and cranked it up a bit Texas style with nuts (an abbreviation for Texas pecans) and Texas-made Falfurrias brand butter.

Foodie Tip:

❤  If you want to extend beyond the flavor border of pecan and craisin try experimenting with other combinations of your own like banana and caramel or walnut and raisin. You can also try a savory spin by skipping the sugar coating, rolling the biscuits in butter or olive oil then sprinkling them with bacon and cheese or your favorite herb.

We like this pecan-craisin version best to let’s get started!

Ingredients: 

½ Cup  |  Granulated Sugar
2 Teaspoons  |  Cinnamon
2 Cans (16.3 ounces each)  |  Pillsbury Grands Homestyle Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits
½ Cup  |  Pecans, Chopped
½ Cup  |  Craisins
¾ Cup  |  Falfurrias Brand Butter, Melted
1 Cup  | Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed

Directions: 

0. Heat oven to 350°F.

1. Lightly grease a 12-cup fluted tube pan (Bundt pan) with cooking spray or shortening.

2. In a large Ziploc storage bag mix the granulated sugar and the cinnamon and shake well to mix. Set aside.

3. Open the first can of Grands. Separate the dough into its 8 pieces and cut each piece into quarters. Place the quartered pieces into the bag of sugar, zip/close the bag and shake well to evenly coat the biscuit pieces. Open the bag and transfer the coated biscuit pieces into the pan. Top with half of the pecans and craisins.

4. Repeat step 3 with the second can of biscuits and finish off with a layer of the remaining nuts and craisins.

5. In a small bowl mix together the melted butter and the brown sugar and pour the mixture over the biscuit pieces.

6. Bake about 30 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and an inserted knife comes out clean. Let the bread rest in a pan about 10 minutes then turn it over upside down onto a serving plate to let all the sugary greatness cascade over the bread. Pull apart to serve.

Best served warm!

 

 

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes!

Slow Cooker Cinnamon Pecans Recipe

Cinnamon Pecans

In fall and winter my slow cooker is on the kitchen counter more than the toaster. There are so many great dishes you can make in a crock pot and this is one of my favorites.

Combining the taste of Texas Pecans and cinnamon these sweet treats are super-easy to make … perfect for gift-giving during the holidays!

Foodie Tips:

❤  Your pecans will darken as they cook, so don’t be alarmed! The result is a warm, cinnamon-y great taste.
❤  Your crock pot will develop a dry, crunchy residue as the pecans cook; this is normal. The residue will dissolve after a few minutes of soaking in warm water.

Ingredients: 

3  |  Egg Whites
1 1/2 Tablespoons  |  Vanilla
1 Cup  |  Brown Sugar
1 Cup  |  Sugar
3 Tablespoons  |  Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon  |  Salt
4 Cups  | Texas Pecan Halves
1-2 Pats  |  Butter
3 Tablespoons  |  Water

Directions: 

1. In a large bowl whisk together the egg whites and the vanilla.

2. In a smaller bowl, mix together the sugars, cinnamon and salt.

3. Add the pecan halves to the egg mixture and stir until well coated. Add the sugar mixture to the coated pecans and stir well.

4. Butter the bottom half of your slow cooker and leave any remaining butter (as a seasoning). Add your coated pecans into the slow cooker.

5. Cook on low for 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes for 2.5 hours.

6. Add the water to the mixture then stir every 20 minutes for the last hour.

7. Transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet, spread pecans into a single layer and allow to cool. You can break any pecans clusters into individual pieces or leave them as clusters (the more the merrier)!

Store in an airtight container

 

 

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes!

Pineapple Cookie Recipe

Fabulously Fruity 

I had never heard of a pineapple cookie until last year when I first enjoyed these tasty treats. I’m a huge fan of pineapple and my friends who have had these have said they’re really good. So let’s get started!

Foodie Tips:

• The only thing sadder than a wet blanket is a soggy pineapple cookie. Make sure and drain the pineapple.
• I’m confident iodized salt is most often used for this recipe. I’m a salt lover and have five salt varieties in my kitchen. I used a kosher salt for these cookies and was treated to a little kick of salt in-between the pineapple nuggets. I liked.
• I recently purchased a cookie scoop which makes forming cookies a snap. Give it a squeeze and see!

Ingredients: 

1 ¾ Cups  |  All-Purpose Flour
½ Teaspoon  |  Soda
¼ Teaspoon  |  Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon  |  Salt
½ Cup  |  Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
½ Cup  |  Sugar
½ Cup  |  Shortening
1  |  Cage Free Egg
1 Teaspoon  |  Vanilla Extract
½ Cup  |  Crushed Pineapple, Drained
½ Cup  |  Chopped Nuts (“nuts” is an abbreviation for Texas pecans)

Directions: 

0. Preheat oven to 375°F.

1. Combine flour, soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

2. Combine sugars and shortening in a large mixing bowl (I used my Kitchen Aid); cream well.

3. Beat egg and vanilla into creamed mixture.

4. By hand stir-in the pineapple and nuts.

5. Fold-in half of the dry ingredients from step 1 above into the creamy mixture. Hand mix until well blended. Add/mix/blend the last half of dry ingredients.

6. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of the cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet.

7. Bake until light golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. If the first batch turns out a bit crispy, reduce the baking time on the next go.

Yields: About 24 cookies

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

❤ Love Food? In a click and a scroll you can visit more of my favorite recipes!

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffin Recipe

A Fall-time Flavor Favorite

My first adventure to Kerbey Lane Cafe was with Linda, the Editorial Director of Enlightenment Magazine. Linda is a great friend and a fellow fan of interior design and beautiful lighting. She lives in New Jersey and was recently traveling thru Central Texas so we hoped our first visit to Kerbey Lane Cafe wouldn’t disappoint. And it didn’t!

We loved Kerbey Lane’s California Omelette, Rocky Road Pancakes and our sensational server so much (thank you, Masani) that we all left with boxes of the cafe’s pancake mixes so we could enjoy a little Kerbey Lane in our own kitchens. Kerbey Lane offers 7 pancake options to choose from and the mixes can create breads, cookies, waffles, muffins in addition to awesome pancakes. For folks living outside the Austin area you can order their mixes online and taste the goodness from your own kitchen creations, too!

This Home Style Austin muffin recipe brings the best of fall with the time-honored “flavorites” – pumpkin, orange juice, cranberries and good ole Texas pecans. Go on . . . take your tastebuds into outer space!

Ingredients: 

1  Cup |  Butter, Melted
1  |  Cage Free Egg
1 Cup  |  Orange Juice
1 Cup  |  Granulated Sugar
16 Ounce Box  |  Kerbey Lane Cafe Pumpkin Pancake Mix
2 Handfuls  |  Dried Cranberries
Handful  |  Texas Pecans, Chopped (optional)

What To Do:

0. Preheat oven to 325°F.

1. In a medium bowl blend together the butter, egg, orange juice and sugar. I love my KitchenAid!

2. Add the pancake mix and blend well.

3. Fold-in the cranberries and pecans (if using) with a spatula or spoon.

4. Using a cookie scoop, spoon batter into silicon baking cups or muffin tin lined with baking cups. If you don’t have a cookie scoop you’re missing out! Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle of one of the cupcakes comes out clean.

Yields: 18 (or so) muffins

I hope you enjoy these muffins as much as I do! I love the Kerbey Lane mixes so much I now include a box or two in my new homeowner gift baskets which have become a gift-giving (and receiving) favorite.

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Banana Nut Bread Recipe

Let’s Go Bananas!

This recipe comes to me from Patrick, who handles marketing here at Home Style Austin. He promised it was one of his family’s tasty time-honored recipes.

He was right! This bread makes for a great morning meal, a side or dessert. Best make two loaves – one for home and one for the office or for a gift. You just scored friends for life.

Ingredients:

1½ Cup  |  Sugar
½ Cup  |  Falfurrias Brand Butter
2  |  Cage Free Eggs, Beaten Well
3  |  Bananas, Mashed Well
½ Cup  |  Nuts, Finely Ground (I like pecans)
½ Teaspoon  |  Baking Soda
4 Tablespoons  |  Buttermilk
1½ Cups  |  Flour
1 Teaspoon  |  Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon  |  Vanilla

What To Do: 

0. Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. In a large bowl, mix the first five ingredients.

2. Dissolve the soda in the buttermilk; add to the first five ingredients.

3. Mix the flour with the baking power; add to the ingredients along with vanilla and mix well.

4. Grease the bottom of a baking pan then line the bottom of the pan with wax paper.

5. Pour batter into baking pan and bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Foodie Tips:

   This recipe makes good use of “almost-bad” bananas.
   Try a slice toasted with a “schmear” of whipped cream cheese. You may never go plain again!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Homemade Limoncello Recipe

This is my family’s favorite limoncello recipe, which will amaze minds (including your own) that you made it.

The recipe is compliments of Ed’s Cucina. To say he touched my heart and belly… well, it’s just an understatement. The world lost an amazing soul in 2011. I hope we greet and eat again!

Ingredients:

8 -10  |  Lemons, Depending On Size (get the big ones)
1 Gallon  |  Widemouth Jar
1 Liter  |  Everclear
3 Cups  |  Granulated Sugar
4 Cups  |  Distilled Water

What To Do:

1. Using a vegetable peeler, strip the rind from all the lemons. With a very sharp knife, cut away all the white pith (it’s very bitter) from the peels. Place the peels in the jar, then pour the Everclear on top. Try to keep the peels completely immersed under the Everclear. Put a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the jar and screw on the lid (this prevents evaporation).

2. Don’t throw the peeled lemons out! Why not make Oprah’s famous Lemon Drop Martini while you’re at it? Delicious, indeed!

3. Each day for a total of eight days or more, swirl the mix once and return it to a cool place.

4. On the eighth day (or later), place the sugar in a pan and add water. Heat until dissolved an then set aside to cool. It’s not necessary to boil the mixture.

5. Now filter the clear bright yellow Everclear. Use a coffee filter in a funnel or large colander and ladle the Everclear into the filter. Try not to shake up the mixture (it will filter much faster). When all of the liquid has been filtered, empty the jar and discard the spent lemon peels.

6. Rinse and dry the jar and transfer the Everclear back into the jar.

7. Here’s the easy part; pour or ladle the simple syrup into the Everclear. As you add the syrup, the mixture becomes more and more cloudy. When you’ve added the last of the syrup, you have created your homemade limoncello!

If you plan to store the limoncello in the Jar, be sure to first cover the top with plastic wrap and then screw on the lid. Stores well in the freezer.

Finally, if you find that the mixture is too strong for your taste, you have some options:

• Dilute the limoncello with DISTILLED water to your liking. Bear in mind, if you dilute the mix too much it will turn to a slush in the freezer or even worse, freeze.
• Substitute 1/2 of the Everclear with some vodka.
• If you think it needs to be more or less sweet, feel free to adjust the amount of sugar ON THE NEXT BATCH!

Bottled limoncello makes great gifts, perfect for any occasion. Enjoy!

~ Joe Paul Reider

Home Style Austin Founder
Austin Realtor®
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.