Common Cuisine |

• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 lb raw shelled pecan halves

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Combine the spices, salt, and sugar in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Set aside 1 teaspoon of the blended mixture.

Melt butter in small saucepan or in microwave. Add in spice mixture and honey.

Put the pecans in a medium mixing bowl and pour the warm spiced syrup mixture over them. Toss the mixture with a spatula or wooden spoon.

Spread the pecans evenly on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake on top rack for 45 minutes. The syrup should look dry (it will still be slightly sticky) and the pecans will have darkened to the color of mahogany. Remove the sheet from the oven and sprinkle the reserved 1 teaspoon spice mixture over the pecans.

Makes about 3 1/2 cups of pecans.

Warning: Highly Addicting!! Plan to make at least two recipes, one for yourself and one to share.

Dry Ingredients:

• 6 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups of raw almonds
• ½ cup raw sunflower seeds
• ½ cup sesame seeds
• ½ cup ground flax seed
• Optional: 1 cup dried fruit (add after cooked) –date pieces, cranberries, etc.

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients together, and then stir into dry ingredients. Stir well to mix thoroughly.

Spread the mixture into two baking dishes. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until evenly golden brown. Stir 2-3 times during baking to ensure even browning. If you use fruit, stir in once it has cooled. Store in the refrigerator. Makes about 12 cups.

I grew up calling these Texas Sheet Cake. Last year I moved to Texas and discovered they just call them brownies here. Doesn’t matter what they are called, frosted bars of chocolate cake are divine.

• 2 C flour
• 2 C sugar
• 1 stick (½ C) butter or margarine
• 1 C water
• ¼ C cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ cup buttermilk or sour cream
• 1-2 tsp vanilla, to taste

Frosting:

• 1 stick (½ C) butter or margarine
• 6 Tbsp milk
• ¼ C cocoa powder
• 1 lb powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Generously grease and flour a 12″ x 18″ (jelly roll) pan, or line with foil and grease foil. Sift together flour and sugar.

In small saucepan, heat ½ cup butter, water and ¼ cup cocoa powder to a boil; add to flour and sugar.

Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk; add to flour mixture. Stir in eggs and vanilla.

Bake 20-30 minutes until done.

Meanwhile, mix frosting: In small saucepan, combine ½ C butter, milk, and ¼ C cocoa powder and bring to a boil. Stir in powdered sugar. Frost cake while still hot.

Makes about 2 dozen 3″ squares.

• ½ package frozen dinner rolls
• ½ C sugar
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¾ C chopped pecans
• ½ C packed brown sugar
• ½ package cook ‘n’ serve butterscotch pudding mix
• 1 stick (½ cup) cold butter

Arrange dough balls in greased bundt pan or large baking dish.

Mix sugar, cinnamon, pecans, brown sugar and pudding mix in small bowl. Sprinkle over rolls.

Slice butter and arrange slices over rolls.

Cover with foil and a dishtowel and let rise overnight on the kitchen counter.

In morning, preheat oven to 350. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Invert onto plate, let stand for a few minutes, remove pan.

Makes 18 delicious, decadent, gooey servings.

Our final MOPS craft project of the semester was to make a gift jar of this mix. Make a label including Bars and Directions info, and include with the jar of yummy stuff. Here is the formula:

Into a 1 quart mason jar, layer the following in order:

• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 1 ½ cups graham cracker mix, in a closed sandwich bag

Five Layer Bars:

• 1 jar mix
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

Directions: Preheat oven to 350.

Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press into bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish.

Sprinkle remaining ingredients over graham cracker crumbs. Drizzle with sweetened condensed milk.

Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting.

from the kitchen of Valerie Mace

• ½ C flour
• ½ C butter, melted
• 2 Tbsp cocoa
• ½ C powdered sugar
• ½ C pecans, chopped
• ½ jar fudge topping
• 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese
• 1 C powdered sugar
• 1 C cool whip
• 2 C milk
• 2 pkgs instant pudding (any chocolate flavor)
• 1 C. cool whip
• Chocolate shavings

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix flour, butter, cocoa, ½ C powdered sugar and pecans in medium bowl. Spread evenly in 9 x 13 dish. Bake 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Mix pudding powder and milk, and set aside.

Spread fudge topping over crust. Combine cream cheese, 1 C powdered sugar, pudding mixture and cool whip, and gently mix. Spread evenly over fudge topping.

Top with final 1 C cool whip and chocolate shavings.

from the kitchen of Gracie Hinton

• 1 C light brown sugar
• ½ C shortening
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ Cups flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 C chopped unpeeled apple
• Whole pecan halves (optional)

Cream together sugar and shortening. Beat in egg. Sift together dry ingredients and add to mixture. Beat until well blended. Stir in apples. Drop in the shape of a ball on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes. Sprinkle cinnamon and pecan on top.