Glazed Pecans

My sister-in-law had us over for dinner some time ago. She served salad with the entree. And I don't know if it was because I was hungry or not, but that salad was the best salad I had ever had! Come to think of it, I now know that it was more than about being hungry. I've had the salad many times since then. We joke that I like the salad so much because of all the "candy" in it.

In her salad is mixed greens, a diced apple, a handful dried cranberries and a handful glazed pecans. She serves it with honey mustard dressing. I started serving this during dinner so often that the cost glazed pecans was driving me into the poor house. I decided to start making my own and I went out and purchased a huge 2 pound bag of pecans from Costco. If you've been reading my blog every once in a while, you'll see this salad on a few of my dinner plates...most recently on my January 18th entry of Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders. I substituted pears for apples that night.

So feeling like I was spending all of my money on pecans instead of saving for retirement, I did an internet search and found a recipe from Pillsbury. I've made four batches of glazed pecans and I thought it was time to share this tasty treat. I need to mention that they are so yummy that you might want to sprinkle them over ice cream or just eat them out of the airtight container that you store them in. It's all natural and kind of "healthy" dessert or snack. At least it is until you glaze them! They would make a nice little hostess gift during the holidays.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons organic butter

2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons real maple syrup

2 cups pecan halves (6-7 oz) <--8 oz is too much

Directions

1 - Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. In 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar and syrup; mix well. Cook until bubbly, stirring constantly.
2 - Add pecans; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until coated. Spread mixture onto parchment-lined cookie sheet.
3 - Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Store in tightly covered container up to 2 weeks.

Pillsbury Note

Pecans are more than 70% fat and can become rancid easily. Store shelled pecans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Transfer cooled pecans to a tightly covered freezer container. Freeze for up to 3 months.

http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/glazed-pecans/a53aa7a8-efd1-42bf-886a-2d70be56f363/