There are just a ton of recipes for spiced pecans as a finger food or bar snack on the Internet. I think my recipe, which I have perfected over three or four Christmases, are a hit because I chose to market them as "barbecued." Of course, in the traditional sense of the word, they are not barbecued. In fact, you cannot barbecue pecans at all. But the perception of having been barbecued and the wonderful flavor these little nuggets bring to a cocktail party are delicious and unique.
As a Christmas gift, they were highly sought after. When preparing these for my co-workers over two or three Christmas periods, I was unable to accommodate them with the same treat this past year due to having the flu over the weekend I would have made them before leaving for the holidays. I can't tell you the disappointment! In order to make amends, I freely gave out this recipe. Maybe that will mean I don't have to do this every Christmas from now on.
Ingredients
For the Southwestern seasoning mix
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp Chipotle chili powder
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp dried leaf oregano or oregano powder
Ingredients
For the pecans
4 cups pecans halves (about 1 lb)
2 tbsp butter (not margarine)
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
5 hearty dashes Tabasco sauce
1/8 tbsp Ancho chili power
1/8 tbsp sea salt
butter flavored non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)
The Recipes
First, make the Southwestern seasoning:
Fairly straight forward, just combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until all spices are evenly distributed. For the record, this is Emeril LaGasse's recipe from one of his very early cookbooks. You can certainly buy this from your grocer also, already prepared.
Now, make the sauce:
Melt the butter in the microwave. Put it in a mixing bowl with the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, Tabasco sauce, salt and Ancho chili powder. Mix well.
The main event:
You need a 15” x 10” x 2” glass baking dish. Metal will not work as well. Pre-heat the baking dish in a 400-degree oven.
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp Chipotle chili powder
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp dried leaf oregano or oregano powder
Ingredients
For the pecans
4 cups pecans halves (about 1 lb)
2 tbsp butter (not margarine)
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
5 hearty dashes Tabasco sauce
1/8 tbsp Ancho chili power
1/8 tbsp sea salt
butter flavored non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)
The Recipes
First, make the Southwestern seasoning:
Fairly straight forward, just combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until all spices are evenly distributed. For the record, this is Emeril LaGasse's recipe from one of his very early cookbooks. You can certainly buy this from your grocer also, already prepared.
Now, make the sauce:
Melt the butter in the microwave. Put it in a mixing bowl with the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, Tabasco sauce, salt and Ancho chili powder. Mix well.
The main event:
You need a 15” x 10” x 2” glass baking dish. Metal will not work as well. Pre-heat the baking dish in a 400-degree oven.
Fold the pecan halves into the sauce mixture and coat all pecans well.
Remove the pre-heated baking dish from the oven and spray with butter flavored non-stick cooking spray. Fold the pecans into the baking dish, making sure all pecan halves are in a single layer.
Toast pecans in the pre-headed 400-degree oven for ten minutes on the middle rack. Remove from the oven and flip the pecans over with a spatula. Return to the oven and toast for another ten minutes. You may need to adjust the final cooking time depending on the characteristics of your oven, but watch the pecans carefully. When they are fully roasted, they will start to burn pretty quickly. You want to roast the pecans right up to that point, but not beyond.
Remove from the oven and immediately turn out the pecans onto paper towels. Sprinkle with additional sea salt and liberal amount of the Southwest seasoning mix. It is important to do this while the pecans are hot and fresh from the oven. Allow them to cool at least one hour before putting into a container. Store pecans an airtight container away from sunlight.
Remove the pre-heated baking dish from the oven and spray with butter flavored non-stick cooking spray. Fold the pecans into the baking dish, making sure all pecan halves are in a single layer.
Toast pecans in the pre-headed 400-degree oven for ten minutes on the middle rack. Remove from the oven and flip the pecans over with a spatula. Return to the oven and toast for another ten minutes. You may need to adjust the final cooking time depending on the characteristics of your oven, but watch the pecans carefully. When they are fully roasted, they will start to burn pretty quickly. You want to roast the pecans right up to that point, but not beyond.
Remove from the oven and immediately turn out the pecans onto paper towels. Sprinkle with additional sea salt and liberal amount of the Southwest seasoning mix. It is important to do this while the pecans are hot and fresh from the oven. Allow them to cool at least one hour before putting into a container. Store pecans an airtight container away from sunlight.
I do these in batches as an all day event, putting them in holiday tins as Christmas gifts.
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