Pecan Phyllo Spirals Recipes

PECAN PHYLLO SPIRALS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Combine the pecans, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl.
• Unroll the phyllo dough, place on a flat surface, and separate out a stack of 12 sheets, gently lifting them off as a single unit. Cover the 12 sheets of phyllo with barely damp paper towels. (Be sure to cover the phyllo every time you take a sheet or it will dry out.) Return the remaining dough to its packaging, seal tightly, and refrigerate or freeze, depending on how soon you'll use it. Place a sheet of phyllo on a flat surface and brush with melted margarine. Continue the layering process with sheets of phyllo brushed with margarine until you have 4 phyllo sheets in the stack. Sprinkle one-third of the nut mixture over the phyllo dough, covering the entire surface, then roll the phyllo up tightly lengthwise, and brush with margarine. Place the roll seam side down, cut it into 3/4-to 1-inch pieces, and place the rolls flat in an ungreased 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Combine the honey and orange juice in a small bowl, stir until well combined, then pour the mixture over the rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• I love cinnamon . . . or I thought I did. The name cinnamon refers to cinnamon from a tree grown in Ceylon; however, a related species, Cassia, is also often sold labeled as cinnamon. So even if you think you're buying real cinnamon, most of the powdered cinnamon sold in stores in the U.S. is actually cassia. But don't start screaming fraud just yet-they're very similar, with cassia just being stronger in flavor than cinnamon.

PECAN SWIRLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide into three portions. Wrap each in plastic; refrigerate for 2 hours or until easy to handle., On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 16x9-in. rectangle. Combine pecans and sugar; sprinkle over dough to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up each rectangle tightly, jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate for 2 hours., Unwrap and cut into 3/8-in. slices. Place 2-in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 400° for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

PHYLLO TRIANGLES WITH CHICKEN AND PECANS

Steps:

• Make the filling-heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add in the olive oil.
• When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until it is soft, about 2 minutes.
• Add in the garlic and cabbage; cook until the cabbage begins to soften, about 2 minutes.
• Add in salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne, and heavy cream; cook the mixture until the cream has reduced and thickened, about 4 minutes.
• Stir in the goat cheese, chicken, pecans, parsley, and tarragon.
• Stir and taste the mixture for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if desired.
• Remove the pan from the heat and let cool.
• Preheat oven to 400°.
• Assemble-remove the phyllo from the package, unroll it on a work surface, and immediately cover it with a large sheet of plastic wrap and a damp towel to keep the pastry from drying out.
• Working as quickly as possible, carefully remove one sheet of phyllo dough and lay it out on the work surface.
• Brush with melted butter and lay a second sheet on top of the first; brush again with melted butter.
• With a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the phyllo crosswise into six strips.
• Place about 1 teaspoon of the cooled filling on the short end of each strip.
• Fold the phyllo over the filling to form a triangle, as you would to fold a flag, and continue to fold, leaving a seam on the bottom of the triangle.
• Brush the triangle with melted butter and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Repeat with the remaining phyllo and filling, leaving about 1/2-inch between triangles.
• Bake the triangles until golden, 12-15 minutes.
• Serve hot or at room temperature.
• **The unbaked triangles can be frozen, arranged on a parchment-lined baking sheet and wrapped in plastic for 2 weeks; they can be baked without thawing; just add 5 minutes to baking time.

PHYLLO PECAN CRISPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a food processor grind pecans with sugar until finely chopped. In a piece of parchment paper on a work surface arrange 1 phyllo sheet and brush with some butter. Sprinkle phyllo sheet evenly with half of pecan sugar and top with a second phyllo sheet, some butter, remaining pecan sugar, and remaining phyllo sheet, pressing down gently with your fingers and brushing with some butter. Slide a baking sheet under parchment and chill phyllo 10 minutes.
• Transfer phyllo with parchment to a cutting board and with sharp knife cut stack lengthwise into 2-inch-wide strips, cutting through parchment and discarding excess. Cut each rectangle diagonally in half and transfer triangles on parchment to baking sheet, separating triangles slightly. Cover triangles directly with another parchment sheet and bake in lower third of oven 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool crisps on baking sheet on a rack. Crisps keep in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.

CRUNCHY PECAN PIE BITES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bake/toast pecans in single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant.
• Stir together sugar and corn syrup in a medium bowl. Stir in pecan, eggs and next 3 ingredients.
• Spoon about 1 heaping tsp pecan mixture into each pastry shell (remember to keep stiring the mixture) and place on 2 large baking sheets.
• Bake at 350 for 20 to 22 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks and let cool completely (about 30 minutes). Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days (not sure how well they freeze; they don't last that long at my house).