A fully cooked pecan pie filling recipe that can be canned, used as a sauce for ice cream or cheesecakes, or fill a fully baked pie shell for a quick and easy dessert. But don't worry, we have included instructions if you want to use this filling in your own unbaked pie crust! < Back Pecan Pie Filling Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Serves: 8 Level: Beginner Ingredients 2 cups pecans chopped 1 cup dark corn syrup ½ cup brown sugar 4 tablespoon unsalted butter 3 eggs ¾ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Preparation Why This Recipe Works This recipe can be canned and given as a gift to a party host or in place of a cookie exchange. It is naturally gluten-free and can be made easily dairy-free. Made on the stovetop, stirring over low heat prevents the eggs from scrambling. Once fully cooked it can be used in a variety of ways from filling mini tart shells to canning for use later in the year! This recipe can also be used to make pecan pie bars or a pie when used with your favorite pie crust recipe ! Ingredient Notes Pecans- I like to use a mix of halves and pieces. Dark Corn Syrup - There are recipes that use light corn syrup, but I love the richer flavor that dark corn syrup brings to the pecan pie filling. Light Brown Sugar - I like to use light brown sugar to offset the richness of the dark corn syrup. If you only have dark brown sugar that will work too! I do not recommend substituting granulated sugar, but dark coconut sugar will work. Unsalted Butter - Melted to keep the filling smooth and creamy. If you use salted butter, reduce the salt by half. Use vegan butter for dairy-free. Vanilla Extract - A touch of vanilla adds warmth and flavor depth to the filling. Optional Pecan Pie Filling Add-Ins This delicious pecan pie filling recipe definitely doesn’t need any changes, but here are a few ways it can be adjusted to fit your needs: Dairy-Free Pecan Pie Sauce - Use dairy-free butter in the filling. Bourbon - Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of bourbon along with the vanilla. Walnut - I know. It’s a pecan pie. But you can totally just swap out with your favorite nuts, but walnuts are the most common. Chocolate Pecan- Add 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips as the sauce is cooling. How to Make Stove Top Pecan Pie Filling Melt- Add all the ingredients, except the vanilla extract, in a saucepan. Heat on low heat and constantly stir until the sugar is dissolved and the butter is melted. Boil- Gradually increase the heat until the pecan mixture reaches a low boil. Stir every minute to ensure the eggs do not scramble. Once the mixture has thickened add the vanilla extract. Cool- Cool to room temperature before using. See below for storage and canning instructions. How to Use Cooked Pecan Pie Sauce Beyond using this filling for pie (or mini pies), you can use this pecan pie sauce on cheesecakes, stir it into yogurt for a snack, or make an ice cream sundae! You can also use it on top of pancakes or waffles Cooked pecan pie filling can also be used in pastry treats like homemade pop tarts or hand pies or as a cake filling. How to Make Pecan Pie Filling for Baking Par Bake- Blind bake your crust for at least 15 minutes at 425 F degrees. Melt- Melt your butter and cool slightly so as not to cook the eggs. Combine- Whisk in the corn syrup, brown sugar and salt. Add the beaten eggs and vanilla. Bake- Add your pecans to the pie shell (if you want a pretty design) and pour over the sauce or add them directly to the sauce and pour it into your pie shell. Bake until the center is just set. Cool- This easy pecan pie recipe needs to cool on a baking rack for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Failing to cool your pecan pie properly will result in a running center. The filling needs time to set up properly. Expert Tip Using room-temperature eggs will reduce the chances of the eggs scrambling creating an unwelcome texture. Storage Cool the sauce completely and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Serve at room temperature or warm. You can reheat the sauce in the microwave on 50% power stirring every few minutes. Or reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop over low heat. This recipe can be frozen in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. If baked in a pie, store the pie in its original pie plate at room temperature and cover it with foil or plastic wrap. Canning Instructions Leave one inch of headspace in your jar when canning to prevent jar overflow in the canner. Once the sterilized jars are filled and the lids are attached, the pecan pie filling is canned in a water bath canner for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the jars to sit for an additional 5 minutes before carefully removing them from the water. Let sit for 24 hours before checking the seal. INSTRUCTIONS Pecan Pie Sauce In a medium saucepan over low heat, stir together the chopped pecans, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, eggs, and salt. Stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved. 2 cups pecans,1 cup dark corn syrup,½ cup brown sugar,4 tablespoon unsalted butter,¾ teaspoon salt,3 eggs Increase the heat and bring to a slight boil, just so the edges of the pan bubble. Reduce to a simmer. Cook for 8 minutes or until thick. Stir in vanilla. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Let cool to room temperature before using. Pecan Pie Instructions 1. Par bake crust for 15 minutes at 425 F degrees. Use pie weights or dry beans to weigh down. 2. Melt the butter in the microwave or in a saucepan. Allow to cool slightly but not solidify. Whisk together the cooled melted butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, and salt until well combined and frothy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Whisk until combined. Stir in pecans. 3. Pour into the pie shell. Bake at 350 F degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until the center is just set and reaches 200F degrees. 4. Cool the pie on a baking rack for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Serve cold or at room temperature. NOTES Use this pecan pie filling as a sauce for ice cream, cheesecakes, etc, or to make deconstructed pecan pie in a cup. Cool completely and store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Serve at room temperature or warm. This recipe can be canned or frozen in a sealed container for up to 3 months. EQUIPMENT Medium Saucepan Previous Next

These aren’t the cake type brownies, or the too dense and mushy brownies. Nope, these are the gooey-in-the-center and the crisp-around-the-corner brownies. Once you eat these, other brownies just won’t measure up. < Back Best Brownies Ever Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30-35 minutes Serves: 16 Level: Beginner Ingredients 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted 2 eggs, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 1/4 cups Brownie Mix (Find recipe in Dry Mixes) 1/2 chopped nuts (your preference) Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan (the corners are the best pieces) Combine all the ingredients, except the nuts. Beat until smooth. Stir in nuts and pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until edges separate from the pan. Sprinkle powdered sugar, or frost with your favorite frosting. You can also spread chocolate chips on it while it is still hot and let them melt. Lightly spread over brownies. Now get a tall glass of cold milk, sit back with a brownie square, and enjoy! Previous Next

Oranges are easy to can at home using a simple water bath canner. < Back Canning Oranges Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: N/A Serves: 7 Quarts Level: Beginner About the Recipe Oranges are easy to can at home using a simple water bath canner. Ingredients 15 lbs oranges, peeled and membranes removed. 1 1/4 cups sugar 10 1/2 cups water Preparation Oranges are a high acid food, and they’re perfectly safe for water bath canning. This applies to all types of oranges including navel oranges, mandarins, clementines, and tangerines. The California oranges of my childhood are slightly more acidic than Florida varieties, but they’re all well below a safe canning pH of 4.6. PREPARING ORANGES FOR CANNING Oranges can be canned whole or in segments. Segments tend to work better for larger navel oranges, but smaller clementines are perfect for canning whole. Regardless of whether you can oranges whole or in segments, they obviously need to be peeled. Remove as much of the white pith as possible, while avoiding puncturing the segment membranes. If you cut into the segments the juice will run into the canning syrup, and they’ll lose flavor that way. For canning whole oranges, it helps to remove the pith from the center of the orange as well as the big hunk of pith that tends to sit at the flower or navel end of oranges. It can be tricky to remove it without breaking the orange into segments, but if you take a finger and gently slide it through the center of the orange the navel end pith and the stringy interior pith will all come out together. Creating space in the center of the orange is also helpful to allow the syrup to penetrate into the center of the fruit. For orange segments, simply remove as much pith as possible and break the fruits into individual pieces. HOW TO CAN ORANGES Oranges are usually canned “raw pack” which means that the fruit is packed into the jar without any pre-cooking. A boiling hot syrup is poured over the top before the jars are sealed and processed in a water bath canner. When canning oranges, choosing the liquid is completely up to you. Straight water is fine from a safety perspective, but it’ll wash out the oranges and leave them flavorless. It’s generally recommended that you can oranges in a very light, light or medium sugar syrup. An extra light syrup approximates the amount of natural sugar in the fruit and will help them keep their flavor and sweetness without adding extra. Dissolve sugar in water and bring it to a rolling boil before pouring it over oranges packed in canning jars. It takes about 2 pounds of orange slices to fill a quart canning jar, and roughly 3/4 of a pound, fits in a pint canning jar. For whole oranges, I can fit about 10 clementines in a quart canning jar. That works out to roughly 1 1/2 pounds of whole oranges per quart. Pack the oranges tightly, as they’ll shrink a bit during canning. Oranges require 1/2 inch headspace. Both pints and quarts are canned for 10 minutes below 1000 feet in elevation, or 15 minutes up to 6000 feet in elevation. INSTRUCTIONS Peel the oranges and remove as much white membrane as possible. Divide oranges into sections, or leave very small clementines and tangerines whole if desired. Pack oranges tightly into canning jars, leaving at least 1/2 inch headspace. Bring water and sugar to a boil in a saucepan and stir to dissolve sugar. Pour boiling sugar syrup over oranges, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Seal with 2 part canning lids. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes below 1000 feet (both pints and quarts). Increase time to 15 minutes for 1000 to 6000 feet in elevation. NOTES Recipe yields a full canner bath of 7 quarts, canned in extra light syrup. Significantly fewer oranges are needed for canning whole oranges. Previous Next

The melt in your mouth part of Homemade Caramel Corn is really true, you know. It’s hard to get the perfect taste to caramel corn because all people like it different ways. But for our family? We’ve found it. This recipe is perfect for us, with sweet caramel and just a hint of saltiness < Back Caramel Corn Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hour Serves: Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 12 to 14 cups popped popcorn ¾ cup packed brown sugar ½ cup butter or margarine ¼ cup light corn syrup ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon baking soda Preparation Divide popcorn between two un-greased 9×13 pans. Cook brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt over medium heat, stirring occasionally until bubbly around the edges. Continue cooking 5 more minutes and the remove from heat. Stir in baking soda until it goes all foamy (FYI –use one of your larger saucepans or you’ll have a mess on your hands – this is from experience). Pour over popcorn and stir until coated. For crunchier corn, bake uncovered in a 200-degree oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. I have never had the patience to do that and so we have just always eaten it sticky and gooey and yummy! Happy food storage eating!

A Delicious Quick And Easy Breakfast, Snack, Or Dessert! < Back Peanut Butter Banana Bars Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Serves: 8 bars Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 3 super ripe bananas 1/4 cup smooth, natural peanut butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/4 cup instant or quick cooking oats 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup chocolate chips Preparation Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a loaf pan or line with parchment paper. Add the bananas to a large bowl and mash until almost smooth. Add in the peanut butter and vanilla extract and mix well. Add in the oats, salt, and baking powder and mix to combine. Fold in 1/3 cup of the chocolate chips, reserving the rest for the top of the bars. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan, using a spoon or spatula to smooth it out on top. Add the remaining chocolate chips to the top of the bars. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool and cut into 6-8 pieces. Previous Next

This Little Caesars Italian Cheese Bread is amazing!!! The crispy edge, the garlic butter and all that cheese! This Italian Cheese Bread will not disappoint – your family will be looking everywhere for the Little Caesars pizza box! < Back Little Caesars Italian Cheese Bread Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Serves: 5 Level: Beginner About the Recipe This Little Caesars Italian Cheese Bread is amazing!!! The crispy edge, the garlic butter and all that cheese! This Italian Cheese Bread will not disappoint – your family will be looking everywhere for the Little Caesars pizza box! Ingredients 16 oz frozen pizza dough 3 tbsp butter 1 tbsp minced garlic 2 tsp Italian seasoning 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded Preparation Let dough thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking and let it come to room temperature. 16 oz frozen pizza dough Spray a metal cake pan with nonstick cooking spray very heavily. You might also cut out a sheet of parchment and put in the bottom of the pan so it comes out more easily. Lightly press pizza dough into the cake pan – be sure to keep the dough nice and thick. Melt butter and mix together with minced garlic and ONE tsp of Italian seasoning 3 tbsp butter,1 tbsp minced garlic,2 tsp Italian seasoning Pour melted butter onto pizza dough and brush to edges Sprinkle shredded cheese all over dough being sure to push cheese to edges 2 cups mozzarella cheese Sprinkle with remaining Italian seasoning 2 tsp Italian seasoning Bake cheese bread at 400º for 12 minutes and then on Low Broil for 2-3 min until golden brown (watch it closely on broil) Remove from the oven and then remove from the pan. Using a pizza cutter, slice into 10 cheesy garlic bread sticks! Serve and dip into marinara sauce or make a little extra of that garlic buttery sauce! Previous Next

My mom’s go-to, all-around favorite pumpkin pie recipe. Never fail yumminess and good time holiday memories – topped with a dollop of whipped cream. < Back Pumpkin Pie Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Serves: 8 Level: Beginner Ingredients 1 ¼ cup pumpkin ½ teaspoon salt 1 ¼ cup evaporated canned milk 2 medium eggs ½ cup brown sugar, packed 1 ½ tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ginger ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ¼ teaspoon cloves Preparation Mix all ingredients together and pour into uncooked pie shell. Bake at 375 for about 45-50 minutes. Pie is done when a knife can be inserted and pulled out clean. If you are concerned about the pie crust burning, it can be covered with tinfoil so that it won't overcook. Pumpkin pie is best if made the day before and served cold with whipped cream. Note: Do not overfill pie shell; pumpkin custard will expand and overflow the crust and burn the crust and drip in the oven. If there is extra custard that won't fit in the pie shell, pour it into an oven-proof dish and bake. Serve with whipped cream. Previous Next

Family FAVORITE authentic German Beef Schnitzel recipe passed down from my grandma! < Back Best German Beef Schnitzel Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 pound raw beef roast/steak (you can also use chicken, or pork) Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup all-purpose flour 2-3 large eggs (lightly beaten with oil) 2-3 tablespoons oil (1 tablespoon per egg) 1 cup plain breadcrumbs or crackers (I prefer the breadcrumbs) Oil (for deep frying. Use a neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point) Lemon juice Mayonnaise and ketchup sauce (equal parts or to taste) for serving Preparation Thinly slice partially frozen meat against the grain into smaller pieces. Pound meat VERY THIN with a flat mallet or meat tenderizer. The thinner the better. You should be able to see through the meat (and there may even be small holes). Lightly beat the eggs and the oil together. Season the flour mixture to taste with salt and pepper (or preferred seasoning). Place the egg mixture, the seasoned flour, and the breadcrumbs into three separate shallow bowls. Dredge each individual piece of pounded meat, 1) first in the flour, 2) then the egg mixture, and 3) finally the breadcrumbs, making sure to coat both sides well. Deep fry, or fry in a pan with a liberal amount of oil immediately (enough that it nearly covers it), or the end product will be soggy. Make sure the cooking oil is hot enough (about 330 ° F). You want to make sure that it starts to fry immediately and doesn’t just sit in the oil. Fry until golden brown on one side and then turn to fry until golden brown on the other side. Because the meat is so thin, this won’t take very long, only about 2-3 minutes . Transfer schnitzel to a large cookie pan with a rack and place in a warm oven until time to serve. Serve warm. Serve by drizzling with lemon juice, or with the mayo/ketchup mixture, or your favorite dipping sauce. Previous Next

This Homemade Banana Pudding recipe makes the creamiest and most flavorful banana pudding ever! Layered with bananas and sweet vanilla wafer cookies, this Southern dessert recipe is hands down the best banana pudding I've had. < Back Banana Pudding Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: N/A Serves: 8 Level: Beginner Ingredients 2 boxes Vanilla Wafers 6 to 8 bananas, sliced 2 cups milk 1 (5 oz.) box French Vanilla pudding 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk 1 (12 oz.) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream Preparation Line the bottom of a 13×9 inch inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top. In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. (add crushed cookies to the top - for a yummy look) Refrigerate until ready to serve! Previous Next

My friend gave me this White Chicken Chili recipe, that is how I know she loves me! Yes, it is that good! < Back White Chicken Chili Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 2 tablespoons oil 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup) 1 large clove garlic, minced 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 ½ pounds) (Could substitute with one or two pints of bottled chicken) 1 package frozen white corn, thawed (9 oz) 2 cans diced green chilies (4 oz) 1 teaspoon cumin 3 tablespoons lime juice 2-3 cans great Northern beans (15 oz) For garnish: crushed tortilla chips, cheddar cheese (grated), chopped green onions, and salsa. Preparation 1. In large saucepan, heat oil. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is softened. 2. Cut chicken breasts into thin strips, add to onion and garlic mixture, and cook until chicken is thoroughly cooked. 3. Add corn, chilies, cumin, lime juice, and beans. If you want to thin it a little, add some chicken broth to create consistency you want. 4. Bring to boil and then simmer for 20 minutes (or put it in a crock pot and cook on low for a couple of hours to let the flavors all blend together.) To serve, place a couple of tablespoons worth of crushed tortilla chips and cheddar cheese in the bottom of a bowl. Ladle the chili over the chips and cheese. Top with additional crushed tortilla chips, grated cheese, chopped green onions and salsa, as desired. Previous Next

One of the most authentically flaky crusts that you will ever eat. A real treat. < Back The Best Pie Crust Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Serves: 1 two crust pie or 2 single crust pies Level: Beginner Ingredients 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup shortening 7 tablespoons cold water Preparation Mix the flour and salt together and then cut the shortening (vegetable shortening, like Crisco) into the flour until it is small pea size. Add the water and mix together with a fork jsut until it starts to come together. DO NOT PLAY WITH THE DOUGH or it will get tough. Turn it out on a floured counter and roll it out. This will not look pretty, and you will lose some flour, but if done correctly it will make the crust flaky. This recipe will make enough dough for two single pies or one pie with a top and of course, some leftover dough for pie dough cookies. Bake at 350°, without filling, for about 20 minutes or until a nice golden color. Let cool and fill with favorite non-bake filling. If you want to bake the filling in it, pour the filling in and the bake at 350° following the pie instructions for the filling. If putting a top crust on the pie, make sure to crimp the edges and cut vent holes in the top crust. If I am baking an apple pie, I cut an apple, if it is a peach pie, I cut a peach, etc. Previous Next

Snacks Beginner Homemade Cheez-Its Homemade Cheez-Its are crunchy, cheesy, salty, and just a little greasy. As seen in the cookbook Classic Snacks Made from Scratch! Beginner Homemade Potato Chips Homemade potato chips are fun and easy. Guaranteed they won't last long! A food processor with a slicing attachment is very helpful for slicing the potatoes. Experiment with the thickness; you may like them thicker or thinner. I like to use olive oil for frying, but you can use safflower, corn, or peanut oil as well as vegetable oil. Beginner Homemade Candy Canes These homemade candy canes are SO much better than store-bought, and so fun to make! Just make sure you have a stick of butter handy to keep your hands buttered for pulling so it doesn't stick to you. Beginner Kohakutou Edible Crystal Candy Kohakutou is a Japanese sweet that looks strikingly like a crystal or gemstone. The gummy candy can be used to decorate cakes, cupcakes, and other desserts, or simply enjoyed as a sweet treat. While the edible crystals look impressive, they're actually quite easy to make and only take a few ingredients. Beginner Watermelon Popsicles You don’t need an expert to tell you that watermelon is just about the most refreshing thing you could possibly eat in the middle of summer. Luckily, there are many worthy and refreshing things to do with watermelon that are somewhere between simple slicing and full-blown cooking. Beginner Candied Watermelon Rind Watermelons are sometimes called ‘summer’s blessing’ by some folks. Not only do they have a high water content, but they also boast a wealth of nutrients – vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, and potassium! Surprisingly, it has about 40% more lycopene (the cancer-fighting antioxidant) than tomatoes. This Candied Watermelon Rind is an easy sweet snack—perfect for summer. Beginner White Rabbit Candy I love this candy for its creamy and milk taste…. Beginner Watermelon Jello Snack TikTok Fruit Watermelon is a fun-to-eat TikTok Viral Dessert Beginner How to roast pumpkin seeds Save the seeds from your pumpkins this year and make roasted pumpkin seeds for a healthy, crunchy snack. If you’re carving a Jack-O-Lantern, then don’t waste the goodness inside, follow this easy step-by-step guide, and you’ll be rewarded with a special treat! Beginner Crispy Roasted Chickpeas This is the absolute best roasted chickpeas recipe. The foolproof method results in flavorful, crispy chickpeas that turn out perfectly every time! Delicious on top of Greek Salad!