PECANS! PECANS! OH SO GOOD PECAN SWEETS!

~PECAN CLUSTERS~

Ingredients:
7-ounce jar marshmallow cream
3/4 pound chocolate kisses (recommended: Hershey's)
2 1/2 cups sugar
6-ounce can evaporated milk
1/2 stick butter
2 cups pecan halves
Directions
Place marshmallow cream and kisses into a large bowl. Set aside. Combine sugar, milk, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 8 minutes. Pour over marshmallow and chocolate, stirring until well blended. Stir in pecans. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper.

~CHOCOLATE-PECAN PIE ~

Ingredients:
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
2 cups pecan halves
3 large eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons good-quality bourbon
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
Directions;
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cover bottom of pie crust with pecans.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and melted butter. Add the corn syrup, sugar, bourbon and the chopped chocolate. Stir until all ingredients are combined. Pour mixture into the pie shell over the pecans and place on a heavy-duty cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for an additional 25 minutes or until pie is set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack

~PRALINES~

Ingredients:

1/2 pound light brown sugar (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
Pinch salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 1/2 teaspoons butter
1 cup chopped pecans
Mix sugar, salt, evaporated milk, and butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until sugar dissolves. Stir in pecans and cook over medium heat until mixture reaches the soft ball stage. (234 to 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer; if you spoon a drop of boiling syrup into a cup of ice water, it will form a soft ball that flattens easily between your fingers.)

Remove pan from heat and stir rapidly until mixture thickens. Drop pralines by teaspoonfuls, 1-inch apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets; let cool completely until firmed up. Store in an airtight container

~OLD TIME PENUCHE (FUDGE)~

Ingredients:
4 1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar (1 box or 2 lb.)
1 c. evaporated milk, undiluted
1/2 c. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. chopped pecans
In a large saucepan, mix sugar, milk, butter and salt. Cook, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking until 238 degrees registers on candy thermometer or until a small amount of mixture dropped into cold water forms a soft ball. Remove from heat and let stand until lukewarm, 110 degrees. Add vanilla and walnuts. Beat until mixture is thick and loses its gloss. Pour into buttered 9 inch square pan. When firm, cut into squares. Makes about 3 pounds. My Aunt Sue made the Penuche and Mexican Candy every Christmas....My Mother made Fudge and Divinty! You know they seemed to taste better back then!