PECAN CLUSTERS
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup sifted flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups broken pecans
1 1/2 1-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
Cream butter or margarine and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, melted chocolate and mix well. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and stir into cream mixture. Add pecans. Drop from teaspoon on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350ûF for 10 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 dozen

CARAMEL CHEWS
2 sticks or 1/2 lb. butter or margarine
2 cups or 1 lb. brown sugar
2 cups chopped pecans
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon butter flavoring (optional)
2 eggs
Melt butter or margarine, add brown sugar. Stir well until sugar is dissolved. Let cool. Add eggs and beat well. Add vanilla and butter flavoring, flour and baking powder (sifted together) and pecans. Mix well. Pour into well-greased-and-floured 10x15x1-inch sheet pan and bake at 325 degrees F for 40-45 minutes. Cool thoroughly and cut into 2-inch squares.

GOLDEN PECAN BARS
1 pkg. yellow cake mix (pudding-added version)
1/3 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 cup ground or finely chopped pecans
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13-inch pan. In large bowl, combine cake mix and margarine at low speed until crumbly. Reserve 1/2 cup crumbs for topping. Press remaining crumbs in bottom of prepared pan. In same large bowl, beat ground pecans, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and egg whites on highest speed for 4 minutes. Pour evenly over crumbs. Combine 1/2 cup reserved crumbs and chopped pecans, and sprinkle over egg white mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely; cut into bars. Yields 36 bars.

BUTTER PECAN MUFFINS
1 1/2 cups self rising flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine flour, pecans and brown sugar in a mixing bowl; set aside. Mix together egg, milk, butter and vanilla; add all at once to flour mixture. Stir only until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon into greased muffin pan, filling 2/3 full. Bake at 400o for 15 minutes or until golden brown. YIELD: 10 muffins

TOASTED PECANS
Oven toasting: preheat oven to 300o. Spread pecans evenly on a baking sheet and bake 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until pecans are fragrant and lightly browned. Undercook slightly as pecans will continue to cook after they are removed from oven. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the freezer of refrigerator.
Range toasting: place pecan in skillet large enough to prevent overcrowding. Cook over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes or until fragrant and lightly browned. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Store in an airtight container in the freezer or refrigerater.

I WON'T BUDGE PECAN FUDGE
2 cups pecan pieces, toasted
3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter
5 1/3 ounces evaporated milk
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
7 ounce jar marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon vanilla
22 peppermints, cracked.
Combine sugar, butter, milk and melt in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stop stirring and cook over medium heat until mixture reaches the soft ball stage. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips, marshmallow creme and vanilla. Blend well. Pour fudge into a pan that has been covered with buttered foil (pan size: 13x9 inches). Press pecans and peppermints into fudge. Cool. Cut into pieces and chill.

PECAN HONEY ROLLS
(First Place, Pecan Yeast Rolls)
Dough 2 packages (5/16 oz. each) Hodgson Mill active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water, 115 degrees F
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup pecan butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Hodgson Mill oat bran hot cereal
2 egg whites
2 cups Hodgson Mill Best-for-Bread white flour
2 1/2 cups Hodgson Mill unbleached flour
Vegetable oil to coat bowl and baking pans
Filling
1 tablespoon margarine, melted
1 cup chopped pecans
Glaze
1 cup confectioners sugar
7 teaspoons milk
2 tablespoons pecan butter
Add yeast to warm water and let stand for 10 minutes. In a large measuring cup or saucepan, combine milk and heat to 115 degrees F (1 1/2 minutes in a microwave or 4 minutes in a saucepan). Pour this liquid into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add pecan butter, salt and oat bran hot cereal and mix well (you may use a mixer). Let sit for 5 minutes to soften the oat bran hot cereal. Blend egg whites and yeast into oat bran hot cereal mixture. Add Hodgson Mill Best-for-Bread white flour and unbleached flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes by hand or 4 minutes in an electric mixer or food processor fitted with a dough hook. Put dough in oiled bowl, turning once to coat thoroughly. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about an hour. Knead down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll out half of the dough into a rectangle 12 by 8 inches, brush with melted margarine. Sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans over the dough. Roll dough, starting with the long side. Seal the edge, cut into one inch slices, and place, cut side down, on prepared pans. Repeat this procedure with the other half of the dough. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove rolls from pans and cool on racks. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine confectioners sugar, milk and pecan butter; mix well. Drizzle rolls with glaze when cool. You can sprinkle extra ground toasted pecans on top if desired.

TRADITIONAL BUTTERMILK PRALINES
2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons white corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
Large lump of butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecans
Combine sugar, buttermilk, corn syrup, baking soda and salt in a large sauce pan and boil until candy thermometer reading is 238 degrees, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, add butter, vanilla and pecans. Beat until right consistency to drop from spoon onto wax paper. It thickens quickly, so work fast. Makes 16-18 large pralines.

GEORGIA PECAN PIE
(A basic method)
Makes 8 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup light or dark corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans (or halves)
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place eggs in a medium mixing bowl and whisk lightly. Add sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and melted butter. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine well. Stir in pecans.
Pour filling into prepared unbaked pie crust. Bake 45-55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.
Note: If using a frozen pie crust, be forewarned that they brown easily. You may want to shield the crust with strips of aluminum foil cut about 3 inches wide and about 12-15 inches long. Wrap these around the edge of the pie pan so they cover the edge of the crust.

BASIC PECAN CRUST
Makes 1 9-inch pie crust
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Chilling time: 2 hours
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons ice water
In mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir with a fork, and gradually add ice water until a ball of dough is formed. Press down dough with your hand to flatten it, then wrap in plastic wrap and chill until ready to roll out.
To fill pie pan, place chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it from the center to the edges with a lightly floured rolling pin. Roll to 1/8-inch thickness. Carefully fold pastry in half, lay the fold across the center of a lightly greased pie pan, unfold it, and press it loosely on the bottom and sides of the pan. Finish edges by crimping dough around edges with your fingertips, or simply by running a knife around ! outside edge of pan to discard dough that hangs off sides. Press dough edges with the tines of a fork for a decorative effect. Prick bottom and sides with a fork, then chill and proceed with recipe.
Note: You can easily make this pie crust in the food processor, but chill the shortening first and pulse six or seven times to distribute it with dry ingredients. After adding ice water, pulse only until dough comes together in a ball.

PEPPY PECAN BREAD
First Place, Pecan Yeast Bread
1/2 cup warm water
2 packages dry yeast
1 3/4 cup lukewarm milk
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons shortening
1 tablespoon salt
7 to 7 1/2 cups flour
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup pimento
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups grated cheese
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Dissolve 2 packages yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Mix milk, sugar, salt and shortening well. Add yeast. Add half the flour and mix well. Add the remaining flour a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add peppers, pimento, onions, cheese and pecans. Work in only enough flour to make handling easy. Knead until smooth. Place in a clean greased bowl. Let rise until double in bulk. Knead again for about 5 minutes. Divide dough into two equal parts. Shape into a loaf. Place in well-greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20-25 minutes, until nicely brown. Remove from oven and grease loaves with margarine. Delicious with barbecued meats or any kind of sandwiches. Jo Ann Zinsmeyer, Castroville, Texas.

HARVEST APPLE CAKE
2 cups coarsely grated apples
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine apples and sugar in a bowl. Beat egg and oil together and add to apples. Combine dry ingredients and add to apple mixture. Mix well. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Pour batter into a greased 8-inch square baking pan and cook in a 350 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Serve with ice cream or vanilla sauce. YIELD: 8 servings.

PECAN CHICKEN BREASTS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 egg whites, beaten until frothy
6 tablespoons creole mustard, divided
1 cup finely ground pecans
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup skimmed evaporated milk
Toasted pecan halves
Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Blend egg whites and 4 tablespoons mustard in a second bowl. Combine pecans and breadcrumbs in a third bowl. Dredge each chicken breast in flour, shaking off excess, then in egg white mixture, then in pecan mixture. Press so that coating edheres to both sides.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken breasts about 3 minutes or until crisp and brown. Turn, reduce heat to medium and cook about 5 minutes or until chicken has lost its pinkness.
Meanwhile, in a 1 quart saucepan, warm evaporated milk over medium heat. Stir in remaining mustard. Cook about 5 minutes or until heated. To serve, slice chicken breasts diagonally and top with sauce. Sprinkle with toasted pecan halves. YIELD: 4 servings.

GEORGIA PECAN-CRUSTED FRENCH TOAST
Makes 8 servings
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
3 tablespoons butter
3 large eggs, warmed to room temperature
1 cup warm milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 slices challah bread or other dense bread, sliced about 3/4-inch thick
3/4 cup pecan halves, finely chopped
Maple syrup
1. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over moderate heat. Beat eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until well blended. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of pecans onto a small plate. Dip one slice of bread in egg mixture to coat both sides, then press one side into pecans on plate. Repeat with another slice of bread.
2. Cook slices, pecan side down, about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn and brown other side. Transfer to platter, cover and keep warm in a low oven; repeat dipping and cooking remaining slices, add! ing more butter as necessary to the skillet. Serve with maple syrup.

PECAN-CRUSTED SALMON AND POTATOE CAKE
This recipe can also be adapted to make a hearty side dish. Just eliminate the salmon and prepare as directed to make a classic savory potato tart.
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Makes 4 main-dish servings
3 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 lb 4 oz package shredded hash brown potatoes
14-oz can sockeye salmon, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (optional)
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
2/3 cup chopped pecans
In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened—5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the onion, potatoes, salmon, dill and salt and pepper. Mix in beaten egg until well blended.
Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to same non-stick skillet and swirl to coat bottom and sides with oil.
Heat over medium heat. Add pecans and spread in single layer on bottom. Top with potato mixture, spreading evenly and firmly to fill skillet. Cover and cook over medium-low 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. 1
To serve, top skillet with a large flat plate or baking sheet, turned upside down. Invert the skillet and plate (or sheet) to unmold the potato cake. Cut in wedges to serve.

PECAN CRUSTED CHICKEN BREASTS
6 chicken breast halves, skin removed
1/2 cup Sesame Lemon Dressing
1 cup crushed Stoned Wheat Thins, or other crisp wheat cracker
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted
1/4 cup butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 450°. Prepare the Sesame Lemon Dressing. Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Place in a shallow non-corrosive pan and pour the Sesame Lemon Dressing over the chicken breasts. Set aside in the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes (and up to 2 hours).
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the Stoned Wheat Thins, Asiago cheese, basil, parsley, pepper and pecans and process to crumb.
Remove the breasts from the dressing and discard the dressing. Coat both sides with pecan crumbs. Place on a buttered baking sheet, drizzle with the melted butter and roast 25 minutes until crisp and browned and cooked through.
Sesame Lemon Dressing:
3 tablespoons sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons shallots, minced
1 teaspoon lemon peel, grated
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon hot water
Whisk together sesame oil, vegetable oil, shallots, lemon peel, lemon juice and soy sauce. Whisk in the hot water and set aside to combine the flavors.