Bourbon Sugared Pecans

I wanted to make these for Thanksgiving but ran out of time. They're sweet and tasty and make a nice topping for pumpkin pie or a stand-alone snack food. I also think they'd be great chopped up and added to coffee cake or cinnamon rolls. The bourbon adds a little flavor depth without being strongly alcoholic. I used Knob Hill, which is pretty high quality; you could use brandy, too.


Bourbon Sugared Pecans

1 cup pecans (whole for a snack, chopped if using elsewhere)
4 tbsp butter
1/2 brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup bourbon

• Lay out a piece of parchment paper on the counter or a cookie sheet.
  
• Toast pecans in a dry pan over high heat, shaking the pan to keep them from burning, for about 3-5 minutes, until they smell toasty. Remove them to another bowl or plate.
  
• Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the pecans and toss to coat. Cook for a few minutes, then add the sugar. Cook until the sugar melts and begins to bubble. Add the bourbon and cook for another few minutes, until the sugar sauce begins to stick to the pecans.
• Lay pecans out on the parchment paper to cool.
  

Pumpkin Pie Wontons

Well, I saw everybody else doing this blog thing, and it looked like so much fun! I cook a lot of food that is, in fact, damn delicious, and I'm excited to share it!

My good friend over at On the Hob sent me a recipe for pumpkin pie wontons a while back, so I decided to give them a try (especially since I had leftover pumpkin from Thanksgiving!). I modified her recipe a little bit, given what I had in the cabinet. These are very crispy and not too sweet at all -- you could use them as a little finger food appetizer (for a more desserty-item, I'd add another tablespoon or two of brown sugar). They look like pot stickers but are baked instead of fried, shaving off a lot of calories. Aside from a little melted butter, these are virtually fat free!


Pumpkin Pie Wontons

1 cup pumpkin, canned or mashed fresh
1 tbsp corn syrup
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
16 wonton wrappers (approx.)
granulated sugar & cinnamon for dusting
1-2 tbsp melted butter

• Preheat oven to 400 deg. F. Mix first five ingredients together.
• Spoon 1 tsp - 1 tbsp mixture into wonton wrapper, depending on the size and shape of the wrapper you're using. Moisen the wrapper's edge with a little water, fold over, and seal to create a triangle or half moon shape. Repeat with remaining mixture and wrappers.
• Place wontons on an ungreased or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Brush them with melted butter and sprinkle over sugar and cinnamon.
• Bake for 16 minutes, then flip the wontons and bake for another 2 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.