Magic Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1-1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1-1/2 cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup BASS PECAN PIECES

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees for a glass dish). Place butter in a 13-inch x 9-inch x 2-inch baking pan. Place in oven until melted. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs evenly over butter. Pour milk over the crumbs. Layer with chocolate chips, coconut and pecans, distributing evenly. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before cutting.

Variation: Replace 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips with 1 cup of butterscotch chips.

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Featured Recipe!

Pecan Tassies

Ingredients:

• ½ c. plus 1 tbsp butter or margarine
• 3 oz cream cheese
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• ¾ c. packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 dash salt
• ½ c. Bass pecan pieces

Method:

For pastry, beat ½ c. butter or margarine with cream cheese. Add flour, beating well. Cover bowl and chill for about 1 hour. In a small mixing bowl, combine egg, brown sugar, 1 tbsp butter, vanilla, and salt - blending just until smooth. Set egg mixture aside. Shape chilled pastry dough into 2 dozen 1" balls. Place each ball in an ungreased 1¾" muffin cup, pressing the dough onto the bottom and sides of the cup. Spoon about 1 tsp. of pecan pieces into each pastry cup and fill with egg mixture. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or until filling is set. Cool on wire racks before removing.

From the Kitchen of
Kim Kassian
New Port Richey, FL

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Pecan, White Chocolate, And Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 c. (packed) golden brown sugar
• ¾ c. sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1½ c. Bass pecan pieces (toasted)
• 1½ c. white chocolate chips (about 8½ oz)
• 1½ c. dried cranberries (about 6 oz)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats. Sift first 3 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add both sugars and beat until blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. Add dry ingredients and beat just until blended. Using spatula, stir in pecan pieces, white chocolate chips, and cranberries.

For larger cookies, drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing 2½" apart. For small cookies, drop dough by level tablespoonfuls onto sheets, spacing 1½" apart.

Bake cookies until just golden, about 18 minutes for large ones and 15 minutes for small ones. Cool on sheets. These can be made ahead, stored in airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days, or keep frozen up to 2 weeks.

From the Kitchen of
Charlotte Harding
Starkville, MS

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Pecan Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

• 1½ c. all-purpose flour
• 1½ c. firmly packed brown sugar, divided
• ½ c. butter (softened)
• 2 c. Bass pecan pieces (finely chopped), divided
• 2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
• ½ c. sugar
• ½ c. milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ c. light corn syrup
• 1/3 c. butter (melted)
• 3 large eggs (lightly beaten)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour and ¼ cup brown sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in ½ cup pecan pieces. Press mixture evenly in bottom of a 13"x9"x2" baking pan and bake for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add milk and vanilla, beating until well combined; pour over cooled crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine ¾ c. brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, and eggs. Stir in 1½ cups pecan pieces. Pour brown sugar mixture over cream cheese mixture. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until center is set.

From the Kitchen of
Charlotte Harding
Starkville, MS

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Powder Coated Fingers

Ingredients:

• 4 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 c. confectioners' sugar
• 1 lb Land-O-Lakes salted butter (room temperature)
• 1 ½ c. Bass pecan pieces
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Additional confectioners' sugar for coating

Method:

Mix the flour and sugar together. Blend in the butter, pecan pieces, and vanilla.

Roll out into small elongated 'finger' size cookies. Place on ungreased cookie sheet about 1" apart. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly brown (12-15 minutes). Cool and roll ('coat') in confectioners' sugar.

From the Kitchen of
Donald Balius
Biloxi, MS

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Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks softened butter
• ¾ c. packed light brown sugar
• ¾ c. granulated sugar
• 1½ c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 c. old fashioned oats
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• 2 c. cranberries (or any dried fruit)
• ¾ c. Bass pecan pieces
• 1 c. sweetened coconut

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. Cream butter and sugars together with hand mixer. After thoroughly combined, slowly add 1 egg at a time. Add vanilla. After incorporated, gradually add dry mixture, mixing by hand. Add (in order) to batter: oats, cinnamon, cranberries (or other dried fruit), pecans, coconut. Mix until well blended. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (or use silpat mat). Using tablespoon, form mixture into uniform dough balls and place onto sheet pan. Bake in 350 oven for 12-15 minutes (depending on size), rotating halfway through. Do not overbake! Remove cookies immediately from sheet pan to wire rack for cooling. Place in airtight container when completely cooled. Taste terrific if eaten with 5 days of baking (if kept in container). Makes about 36-40 cookies.

From the Kitchen of
Donna Hessling
Arlington, VA

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Chocolate Toffee Pecan Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 c. plus 2 tbsp. flour
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 12 tbsp. butter (melted)
• 1 c. brown sugar
• ½ c. sugar
• 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. chocolate chips
• 4 oz English toffee bits
• ¾ c. Bass pecan pieces (very finely chopped)

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, mix dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine butter and sugars until well blended. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Batter will appear slightly greasy. Add dry ingredients until blended. Add chocolate chips, pecans, and toffee pieces. Scoop in ¼ c. balls onto cookie sheet. I use an ice cream scoop. Place 6 on each cookie sheet. You should only place 6 per sheet because these are large cookies and they spread out. Bake for 15 minutes.

From the Kitchen of
Lynn Walls
Lynn's Kitchen Adventures

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Coconut Pecan No-Bakes

Ingredients:

• 7 oz sweetened flaked coconut
• 4 oz Bass pecan pieces (1 cup)
• 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

Method:

Spread coconut in a large shallow baking pan and pecans in another. Bake pecans in upper third of oven and coconut in lower third, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 18 minutes. Remove pans from oven.

Meanwhile, pour the 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk into a 2-quart glass measuring cup. In microwave, cook on 50% power for 4 minutes, stirring briskly every 2 minutes until smooth. Then cook on 30% power 15 to 25 minutes, or until very thick and caramel-colored, stirring briskly every 2 minutes.

Stir in coconut, pecans, and vanilla; cool to room temperature. Cover, and refrigerate until firm. Roll 2 tablespoons of mixture into round cookies or scoop with a 2 tablespoon ice cream scoop onto a platter. Serve cold or at room temperature. Yields about 2 dozen cookies.

From the Kitchen of
Melissa LaCaille
Kirkland, WA

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Chocolate Covered Pecan Caramel Surprize Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 c. of white sugar
• 1 c. packed brown sugar
• 1 c. butter (softened)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2½ c. all-purpose flour
• ¾ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 c. Bass pecan pieces (coarse)
• 48 chocolate covered (soft) caramel candies
• 4 tbsp white sugar
• 1 c. white chocolate chips
• 1 c. Bass pecan pieces (finely chopped)

Method:

In a large bowl, cream together the white sugar, brown sugar, and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, and baking soda, gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Fold in 1 cup coarse pecan pieces. Cover dough and chill for at least 1 hour. Meanwhile, unwrap the candies.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With floured hands, wrap about a tablespoon of dough around each piece of candy, completely covering the candy. Roll each ball in the remaining 4 tbsp of white sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an unprepared cookie sheet. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes. Cookies should be set and slightly cracked.

Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave. Drizzle or frost the cookies with the white chocolate when they are cooled. Sprinkle with the finely chopped pecan pieces. If the chocolate is too thick, add vegetable oil to achieve desired consistency.

From the Kitchen of
Pattie Bush
Laurel, MS

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Maple Pecan Treats

Ingredients:

• 2 cans flaky biscuits
• 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese (softened)
• ¼ c. powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp butter (softened)
• 1/3 c. maple syrup
• 1 c. Bass pecan pieces
• 1 c. brown sugar
• ¼ c. butter (melted)

Method:

In a 9 x 13-inch glass dish, mix maple syrup, melted butter, brown sugar and pecans. Spread evenly over bottom of the dish. Mix the cream cheese, powered sugar and butter until smooth. Open the biscuits and spread out all 20 biscuits into 4 inch circles. Place one tablespoon of cream cheese mixture in the center of each circle. Fold the dough over the mixture. It should look like a cylinder. Place seam side down in the prepared pan. Ten on one side the length of the pan and ten on the other side. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Invert onto a service dish. These pull apart as individual pastries.

From the Kitchen of
Pattie Bush
Laurel, MS

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Caramel Filled Pecan Brownuies

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs
• 1½ c. butter (melted and divided)
• 1¾ c. sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. unsweetened cocoa (divided)
• 1 (14 oz) pkg caramels (unwrapped)
• 1 c. milk (divided)
• 3 c. Bass pecan pieces (toasted)
• 10 large marshmallows (or 1 c. miniature marshmallows)
• 1 (16 oz) pkg of powdered sugar (sifted)

Method:

Whisk together eggs, 1 cup melted butter, sugar, salt and vanilla in a large bowl. Add flour and ½ cup cocoa, blending well. Spread into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool

Microwave caramels and 2/3 cup milk in a large glass bowl on high for 3 minutes (or until melted and combined). Stir in pecans and spread evenly over brownies. Chill 20 minutes until set.

Cook marshmallows and remaining ½ cup butter, ½ cup cocoa and ½ cup milk in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and thoroughly heated. Remove from heat.

Beat marshmallow mixture and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread evenly over caramel mixture. Chill 20 minutes (or until set). Cut brownies into 1½ x 2 inch pieces. Yield: 3½ dozen.

From the Kitchen of
Pattie Bush
Laurel, MS

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