Cocoa Pecan Ring Food

PECAN PIE BROWNIES

Steps:

• For the brownie layer: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Spray the parchment with nonstick cooking spray.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the eggs, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, baking powder and espresso powder, if using. Beat on medium-low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the sugar and stir until mostly dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the melted butter mixture to the bowl and mix on medium-low speed until the batter is smooth and shiny, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and carefully add the flour and chocolate chips, mixing until the flour is fully incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the brownie layer is cooked through, 32 to 34 minutes.
• For the pecan layer: While the brownie layer is baking, whisk together the brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla, salt, eggs and bourbon, if using, in a medium bowl until well combined and the sugar is dissolved. Add the pecans and stir until the nuts are completely coated.
• Gently pour the pecan mixture over the baked brownie, using a spoon or small offset spatula to carefully spread all the way to the edges. Bake until the pecan pie layer is golden, set and no longer jiggly, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool completely, about 3 hours, before slicing into 9 squares.

CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE III

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In a heavy saucepan combine melted margarine, corn syrup, white sugar and cocoa. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Add vanilla, salt and eggs, stirring well. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans. Mix well.
• Pour filling into unbaked pastry shell and top with remaining 1/2 cup pecans. Bake at 325 degrees F(165 degrees C) for 55 minutes. Let cool and serve.

SWEDISH TEA RING WITH PECANS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water and let stand until creamy, about 15 minutes. Zest and juice the lemon; set juice aside for later use.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast mixture, milk, butter, salt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and 2 cups of the flour. Stir until smooth and well combined. Mix in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has come together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and satiny; about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume; about 1 hour.
• Punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out into a rectangle approximately 12x24 inches.
• In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, 1/4 cup sugar and pecans; spread this mixture evenly across the dough. Roll the dough into a long roll and press the seam closed. With the seam turned downward, seal the two ends together to make a ring. Use a little water to help you seal the ends.
• Place the ring on a lightly greased cookie pan. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, make cuts every inch or so along the ring, cutting only three quarters of the way through. Twist each piece slightly so that the rolls fan out from the center of the ring. Cover the roll with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the ring from the oven, place on a rack to cool.
• Place the lemon juice in a small bowl along with the vanilla. Add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Continue adding powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is fairly thick but still pourable. Drizzle the lemon-sugar topping over the ring.

CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Make the dough for the Flaky Cream Cheese Pie Crust . Roll, shape, and prebake it as follows:
• Roll the Dough
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator. If necessary, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes or until it is soft enough to roll. Using a pastry cloth and sleeve rubbed with flour or two sheets of plastic wrap lightly sprinkled with flour, roll the dough 1/8 inch thick or less and large enough to cut a 12-inch circle, for a 9 1/2-inch tart pan, or 12 1/2 inches for a 10-inch tart pan.
• Shape the Dough
• Use an expandable flan ring or a cardbard template and a sharp knife as a guide to cut the circle. Transfer the dough to the pan by rolling it around the rolling pin, by slipping your hands underneath it, palm sides down, and lifting it into the pan, or by folding it into quarters. Press the dough against the fluted sides of the pan. Turn down the edge about 1/4 inch so that it extends about 1/8 inch above the top of the pan. Using the back edge of a knife blade held on an angle, make decorative marks all around. Cover the pastry lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 24 hours.
• Blind Bake the Dough
• Preheat the oven to 425°F. at least 20 minutes before baking. Set an oven rack at the lowest level. Line the dough with parchment, pleating it as necessary to fit the pan, or use a large cup-shaped coffee filter. Fill with rice or dried beans, making sure they are pushed up well against the sides of the liner. Place it in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Lift out the parchment with the rice or beans and prick the bottom of the tart shell all over with the tines of a fork; if using a sticky or runny filling, prick only halfway through the dough. Return it to the oven for 7 to 10 minutes more or until pale golden brown (5 minutes for a partially prebaked crust). Check after 3 minutes and prick again if the upper layer of dough bubbles up.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. at least 15 minutes before baking.
• Arrange the pecans, top sides up, in the bottom of the baked crust.
• In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine the cocoa, egg yolks, syrup, brown sugar, butter, cream, and salt. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and without letting the mixture boil, until it is smooth and uniform in color and hot to the touch (115° to 120°F. on a candy thermometer), about 5 minutes. Pour the mixture into a small bowl and stir in the vanilla.
• Slowly pour the filling over the nuts, coating the upper surface.
• Place a foil ring on top of the crust to prevent overbrowning and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the filling is puffed but still soft enough to shimmy like jelly when moved. Allow the pie to cool completely on a rack about 45 minutes before unmolding it from the pan. Serve with crème fraîche or whipped cream, if desired.
• Store
• Room temperature, up to 1 week.
• Pointers for Success
• Be sure to check the pie toward the end of the baking time to prevent over-baking and drying the filling.
• Understanding
• The filling is brought to a lower temperature than for the nonchocolate version because the acidity of the cocoa would cause coagulation of the egg yolks at a higher temperature. Straining is difficult because of the thickening quality of the cocoa and unnecessary in any case, as the cocoa masks any slight graininess from the eggs.

COCOA RIPPLE RING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Generously butter a 6 and 1/2 cup ring mold or similarly sized bundt pan.
• Cream together butter and sugar.
• Add the eggs and beat until light and fluffy.
• Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.
• Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk to the creamed butter/sugar/egg mixture, beating well after each addition.
• Mix together the filling ingredients.
• Pour 1/3 of the batter into the prepared mold.
• Sprinkle half the filling over the batter.
• Carefully add another third of the batter.
• Sprinkle with the remaining filling.
• Add the balance of the batter.
• Bake for 35 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes.
• Invert and unmold cake.
• Dust with a sprinkling of confectioners' sugar through a sieve.
• Pour yourself a cup of tea and enjoy.

SPICY COCOA GLAZED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, then use a vegetable oil spray to lightly coat a large but shallow baking sheet.
• In a bowl combine the 1/2 cup of sugar & the warm water, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Add pecans & let soak 10 minutes before draining & discarding the water.
• In a large bowl, stir together the 1/4 cup of sugar, cocoa, chili powder & cayenne pepper.
• Add pecans to this spicy cocoa mixture & toss until all the cocoa mixture coats the pecans, then spread the nuts evenly on the prepared pan.
• Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until pecans start to glisten & appear dry, stirring several times while baking.
• Remove from the oven & let the baking sheet cool completely on a wire rack.
• Store nuts in a tightly covered container, placed in a cool, dry spot.
• Serve as a snack, with beverages, or sprinkle in salads.