may | june 2020 26other American regional desserts, from shoofl y pie to sugar pie to even chess pie. But where
these other pies stop at the custard and syrup-sweetened fi lling, pecan pie is a glorifi cation
of the South’s signature nut, showcasing toasty pecans with every bite. Some recipes add
bourbon or chocolate, perhaps even bourbon and chocolate, but the pecan is always the star of
the show. There’s little proof of where or exactly when the pecan pie fi rst came about—but
you can thank Karo for making it a household dessert. In the 1920s, a simple pecan pie recipe
was printed on the Karo Corn Syrup can label. One bite of the golden, nutty pie and the US
was done for.
What exactly makes this nut such an irresistible ingredient for bakers? Much of it has to do
with its delectable chemical makeup. Pecans are rich in oil, second only to the macadamia nut
in unsaturated fats, making them a uniquely buttery ingredient. This high oil content also
means that shelled pecans should be stored in the refrigerator, untoasted and in whole pieces,
if not using immediately, because these same oils go rancid quickly at room temperature and
chopped and roasted pecans have weakened cell walls. The fat in pecans is subject to absorbing
odors, so opt for an airtight container, such as a glass jar, for storage. Pecans also freeze well.
Sealed in a resealable plastic freezer bag, they’ll keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Perhaps the greatest way to unlock the potential of your pecans is to give them the toasted
treatment. Toasted pecans, whether done in the oven or on the stove in a skillet, have an more
enhanced, warmer fl avor than raw pecans, and their texture takes on a crispy fi rmness. (To
properly toast pecans, see our PRO TIP on page 83.) Candied pecans have a similar appeal, with
their sugar-toasted encasement offering a delightful note of sweetness and crunch.
As for incorporating pecans into your baking, do as the Southerners do: add them to just
about anything your heart desires. Stir them into cake batter—spice cakes in particular—to
complement the cake’s warm, buttery fl avor with nuttiness. (See our Butter Pecan Pound Cake
on page 85.) Lightly coat chopped pecans in fl our before adding to cake batter so they are
distributed evenly and don’t sink during baking. Mix them into a caramel-based topping before
pouring over your baked goods, like sticky buns or toffee pudding, bringing crunch to the
gooey decadence. Crown your coffee cakes with pecan streusel, or better yet, your muffi ns.
(See our Banana Muffi n Tops on page 93.) Or, for a minimalist measure of how the pecan
transforms a baked good, simply stir chopped pecans into your favorite brownie recipe to see
how the nut enhances the rich chocolate fl avor.
For the sake of convenience, there’s still no better way to enjoy pecans than to buy them
pre-shelled. Commercial pecan factories have the best machines for cracking and removing
the entirety of the pecan without losing precious bits during its extraction. In fact, 80% of all
pecans sold at market are already shelled for you. One pound of pecan halves will equal roughly
4 cups. But if you have a desire to break into the actual nut like your ancestors of old, pull up a
chair, grab a nutcracker, and get cracking. Enjoy the sound—it’s one that has echoed through
the ages in the American South.
Pecan Pinwheels, page 83
Butter Pecan Pound Cake, page 85
Hungarian Pull-Apart Pecan Coff ee Cake, page 86Butter Pecan Poke Cake, page 86Banana Muffi n Tops, page (^93) •
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