The pecan tree (Carya illinoinensis) is a species of hickory native to northern Mexico and the southern Mississippi River region of the United States. The U.S., primarily Georgia and Texas, grows and supplies up to 80% of the world’s pecans. Before European settlement, Native Americans widely consumed and traded them.
I’m not sure why April is Pecan Month, given that they don’t come into season until the fall. But I’m going to go with it anyway. Here are some things you might be interested in knowing about this tasty and healthful nut.
Health Benefits of Pecans
Since this nut is often associated with dessert – pecan pie, pralines, praline pecan pie – many people ask, “Are there any benefits to eating pecans?” I’m happy to share that yes, are nutritional powerhouses that make excellent snacks, as well as ingredients for both savory and sweet recipes.
Pecans are an excelled source of the metabolic boosting elements manganese and copper. They are a good source of zinc, which helps the immune system. And they contain the antioxidants ellagic acid, which is associated with reduced risk of some cancers, and flavonoids, which are associated with reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, and cognitive decline.
The fats this nut contains are mostly unsaturated, especially monounsaturated fatty acids, which are linked to reduced cholesterol levels. They are low in sugar and contain Vitamin E and oleic acid, as well.
Pecans vs. Walnuts: Which Is Better?
Both of these nuts are heart-healthy. Pecans contain more Vitamin E, whereas walnuts offer more Omega-3 fatty acids. There are more studies on the nutritional benefits of walnuts compared to pecans, so the health information for a valid comparison really isn’t there yet.
In recipes, they are basically interchangeable. Walnuts tend to be less expensive and easier to find. However, I’ve had a lot of problems with walnuts going bad on me and having a moldy taste. Something I’ve never experienced with pecans.
So, when it comes right down to it: It really is your preference.
These have many names, from pecan balls or pecan cookies to Italian wedding cookies. The pecan balls are not very fattening even with the standard ingredients, but switching out almond or coconut flour for white flour gives them a nutritional up-tick.
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups unsalted butter
3/4 powdered sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups finely ground pecans
4-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups sifted almond or coconut flour
1/3 cup powdered sugar for rolling
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Cream butter and sugar in a bowl.
Gradually add powdered sugar and salt. Beat until light and fluffy.
Add pecans, vanilla, and cinnamon. Blend in the flour and mix well.
Shape into balls or crescents using about 1 Tbsp dough for each cookie. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Love pecan pie … but not the calories? Here is your answer. This pie tastes a lot like pecan pie, but is lower in calories.
Ingredients
1/3 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup pinto beans, cooked and mashed
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, sugars and eggs. Add in the mashed pinto beans and pecans.
With an electric mixer, beat the filling on low speed until it is well mixed.
Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie shell.
Bake the pie until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes.
Create Your Own Unique Pie!
Does pie making daunt you? Are you wary of deviating from any pie-recipe you find, for fear that you’ll ruin the flavor of the resulting pie?
It doesn’t have to be that way!
Pie-Palooza 2017 is brought to you by Your Perfect Pie, a cookbook that breaks down pies into easily made component parts so you can unleash your pie-making creativity. Available on Amazon in both print and Kindle formats. Grab your copy today and start creating your perfect pie!
Many people think that pecans came to the New World from Europe but actually, the pecans were here and were a part of the Native Americans’ diet long before the first European ever set foot in what became the present-day United States. Nuts like pecans were a very important protein to the Native Americans.
It was not until the French settled New Orléans that the first wonderful desserts began to be made from the pecans the French Settlers found growing in the area. A similar desert to pralines had been made in France but it was made from almonds and it was much different from the pralines that were soon made and sold in what came to be the French Quarter of old New Orléans. Today you will find tons of pecans being turned every day into delicious pralines and sold all over New Orléans.
The Origin of Pecan Pie
I have often wondered how that first pecan pie came to be. It is known that the pie was being made and sold in the French Quarter of New Orléans as early as 1750 and maybe before. And with all the wonderful cooks and chefs in New Orléans, it wasn’t long before all different kinds of pecan pie were being cooked and served in New Orléans.
One of the most famous variations is a Chocolate Pecan Pie and it is very popular all over New Orléans and as far west as Texas and you’ll find it being served all over the entire gulf coast.
You’ll also find miniature pecan pies served all over the south and the miniature pecan pie is now very popular as far east as North Carolina and as far west as Seattle. You’ll find them made many different ways but one of the main ingredients that never changes are the pecans.
Working with Pecans
Some people will tell you they must have the freshest pecans possible for their delicious pecan pies while other people like to shell the pecans, freeze them and then take them out of the freezer and produce delicious pecan pies with them. Pecans can be shelled and frozen in the freezer for up to a year with no change in their taste.
One of the recent tricks that people have started doing with pecans is they grind just a few of the pecans very fine and add those finely ground pecans to their pecan pie recipes. When you add just a couple of tablespoons of fine ground pecans to a delicious homemade pecan pie it adds a deeper flavor of pecans to your pecan pie that you can’t get any other way.
If you love pecans then you just have to make yourself some delicious glazed and baked pecans. To a pound of pecans, you want to add a cup of butter and a half cup of brown sugar and stir everything up together and bake your pecan mixture on a baking pan for 45 minutes in a 350-degree oven and you’ll get pecans that will be oh so tasty and delicious.
Serving Pecans
My Grandmother used to make these delicious glazed and baked pecans and they are so wonderful. We used to have homemade vanilla ice cream with a big spoon of glazed and baked pecans on top of the ice cream. You won’t ever taste anything quite as delicious.
But there is nothing that can ever compare to the taste of a big piece of pecan pie fresh baked from the oven with a big spoon of whipped cream on top of it. And I have come up with a secret ingredient that you can add to a homemade pecan pie that just takes it to a whole new level.
If you would like that recipe for delicious homemade pecan pie just Click Here Now. You will find a recipe that includes several secret ingredients and almost everyone that tries this pecan pie says that it is one of if not the best pecan pies that they have ever tasted.
And be sure to check out Chocolate Pecan Pie which is quickly becoming popular all over the southern United States. Let me ask you a very serious question. Have you ever tasted pralines? If not then you owe it to yourself to make some delicious homemade pralines very soon. I hope there is a delicious pecan pie in your future very soon.
On a Personal Note
Over the last thirty years while working as an award winning Chef I have worked a lot with pecans and I hope you will check out all the wonderful recipes I have for pecan pie and be sure if you love pecans that you click this link and check out the recipe for pecan pralines which are oh so delicious and easy to make.
If you’ve never tried pralines then now is the time to make and enjoy delicious homemade pralines and maybe just maybe there will be a delicious homemade pecan pie in your future.
About the Author
Thomas Byers is an award winning Chef with about forty plus years of experience. He loves to cook and share recipes. He has won many barbecue and chili cook-off contests. In the last forty plus years, he has won over $150,000 in cash prizes for his cooking. In 1998, he was named number 3 In The 10 Best Chefs In Florida.
Create Your Own Unique Pie!
Does pie making daunt you? Are you wary of deviating from any pie-recipe you find, for fear that you’ll ruin the flavor of the resulting pie?
It doesn’t have to be that way!
Pie-Palooza 2017 is brought to you by Your Perfect Pie, a cookbook that breaks down pies into easily made component parts so you can unleash your pie-making creativity. Available on Amazon in both print and Kindle formats. Grab your copy today and start creating your perfect pie!
I never shopped at Fresh & Easy until I moved to Long Beach. And then only because it was the closest grocery store. And I’m sorry it turned out that way because I’ve had a “Where have you been all my life?” experience since I started shopping there.
First, the one I go to is tiny, but it still stocks an amazing array of gourmet and unusual items. Case in point, they sell creme fraiche! I’ve never seen that in a store before!
Anyway, awhile back I tried their Greek Style Yogurt and am now hooked. I’ve tried other brands and was unimpressed, but the Fresh & Easy brand is so smooth and creamy and has just the right balance of sweetness and tartness. I eat the Honey flavor like it was ice cream … slowly, savoring every delectable moment.
I bring this up because this morning I tried another of their store brand products, Pumpkin Pecan Pancake and Waffle Mix (that’s me chomping on one in the picture above). Unlike me, I decided to follow the instructions to the letter, including melting butter instead of using oil.
The pancakes were just this side of sweet … enough that I didn’t need maple syrup at all, but not so much as to make it taste like a cake or cookie. The spice was light … I couldn’t identify one or the other, like I can with so many other pumpkin flavored mix products. The balance of the pumpkin with the spice with the pecans was deftly done, leaving me with an overall “autumn” flavor, nothing overpowering the other.
I was pleasantly surprised. This is two store brand products that have wowed me … I’m going to have to try some more!
1/3 cup butter
Does pie making daunt you? Are you wary of deviating from any pie-recipe you find, for fear that you’ll ruin the flavor of the resulting pie?
Thomas Byers is an award winning Chef with about forty plus years of experience. He loves to cook and share recipes. He has won many barbecue and chili cook-off contests. In the last forty plus years, he has won over $150,000 in cash prizes for his cooking. In 1998, he was named number 3 In The 10 Best Chefs In Florida.