Pecan puffs from Joy of cooking

I'm so bummed. My Joy of Cooking is out of date and doesn't have the recipe. Anyone?

I found this recipe online at http://annastockwell.com and it sounds like these are the same as the Mexican wedding cakes I posted the other day. There are a few differences.

Pecan Puffs
1 cup butter
4 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups pecans, finely ground
2 cups cake flour
about 1 cup confectioners sugar, for garnish

Preheat oven to 300?F.
Cream the butter and the sugar until soft, then stir in the vanilla.
Stir the pecans and the flour into the butter mixture.
Roll the dough into 2 tsp size balls and place evenly on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake until the cookies are just barely starting to brown, about 20 minutes.
While still hot, roll each cookie in the confectioners sugar then let cool completely on a cooling rack.
I like to dust all the finished cookies with a bit of extra confectioners sugar through a fine sieve for a smooth finish.

Mexican Wedding Cakes

I can not recognize the handwriting on this recipe card so I can not tell you who it came from!

Ingredients
1 cup butter
2 cups sifted flour
confectioners sugar (a bunch you will need it)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cup nuts: Brazil, Pecans, or filberts
1 teaspoon almond extract
OR
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions
One to five days ahead:

1. In a small bowl, using a mixer at medium speed, beat butter with 1/2 cup confectioners sugar. Beat until creamy. 
2. In turn, beat in salt, extract, flour and nuts and mix until well blended. 
3. Refrigerate dough until easy to handle. 

When ready to prepare cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Shape dough into 1" balls. 
3. Place dough balls on cookie sheet and push to flatten. 
4. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. 
5. Remove from over, sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Cool.

La's Green Salad with Strawberries & Goat Cheese

This picture totally doesn't do it justice!
Green Salad with Strawberries & Goat Cheese

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup or brown sugar
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 cups baby spinach
3 cups watercress, tough stems removed
2.5 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/3 cup fresh chives, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (or more, if you're anything like us!)

Directions
1. Whisk maple syrup (or brown sugar), vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
2. Add spinach, watercress, strawberries & chives; toss to coat.
3. Divide the salad among plates and top with pecans and goat cheese.

Tip: To toast chopped or sliced nuts, stir constantly in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Haroset

I am a little late this year, but oh well, here's the yummiest part of passover. Well that's my opinion, from good ole WASPy me!
Haroset, or Charoset is a dish served during Passover. Charoset in Hebrew means clay, and the dish's color and texture symbolizes the mortar with which the Israelites bonded bricks when they were enslaved in Ancient Egypt.

There are many recipes for Charoset. A typical recipe would include nuts, apples, cinnamon, and sweet wine. Honey is used as a sweetener and binder: the mixture is not cooked. Variations for this recipe do exist that may include raisins or other ingredients native to the Middle East such as figs or dates. In Egypt, it is made only of dates, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon and sweet wine. In Greece and Turkey, it consists of apples, dates, chopped almonds and wine. In Iraq and Central Asia it sometimes consists of grape jelly. In Italy, it can include chestnuts. In Spanish and Portuguese communities of the New World, such as Surinam, it may include coconut.

I intended to put this recipe up a week in advance of Passover, but life got in the way of any blogging I was to do. I received this recipe from my friend Arona who I used to teach with in Connecticut. This recipe is tasty and healthy and loved by the entire family. I tend to use pecans in place of the traditional walnuts only because of personal preference.

Ingredients
1 apple - cored
1 cup nuts (walnuts or pecans) (whole or ground)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons honey
2 Tablespoons red wine

Process (there are 2 methods)

1. Combine whole ingredients in food processor and pulse until combined. OR
   
2. If using ground nuts - the alternative method would be to chop or grate apple coarsely and mix with rest of ingredients. Add wine and blend thoroughly.
   

The Spencers' Pecan Hors D'oeuvres

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon butter
Pecans
Salt

Process

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
   
2. Melt butter in cookie tray.
   
3. Spread pecans one layer think and salt lightly.
   
4. Toast in oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning occasionally.
   
5. Let cool and keep in jars or tins for weeks.
   

Chicken Mousse with Nut and Celery Salad

This one is credited to my great grandmother. While somethings have clearly gone out of style in terms of eating gelatinous chicken for lunch, the use of salads in this recipe and another soon to come has not changed a bit in three generations! When we have leftover chicken we make it into a salad with celery and pecans. I like the use of French dressing over the top of this one!

Chicken Mousse with Nut and Celery Salad

Ingredients
1 cup cream, milk, or chicken broth (I live how this ranges from least to most healthy)
3 eggs separated
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
salt
pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
gelatin
water
1 cup cooked chicken, pounded and chopped very fine.
1 cup whipped cream
leaf lettuce
chopped celery
chopped pecans
French Dressing

Process

1. Scald one cup milk cream or chicken broth.
   
2. Beat yolks three eggs and add salt, celery salt, pepper, and paprika
3. Cook as a custard...

(So this is where this recipe comes to a screeching halt so that I can insert the proper directions from Joy of Cooking for modern cooks who don't eat or cook custard on anything close to a monthly basis.)

• ... whisking together ingredients until blended.
• Bring to a summer in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking gently all the while.
  
• In a separate bowl, add 1/4 package gelatin with 1/4 cup cold water
• Place chicken in bowl and strain custard over cup of chicken.
• Place over ice bath
  
• Stir over ice water until thick
• Add 1 cup whipped cream and stir.
  
• Pour into mold and chill.
  
• When ready to serve, place on lettuce.
• Cover with chopped celery and pecans.
  
• Pour French Dressing over the top.

The notes in the margin state: "4 lbs. chicken serves 18", but I wonder if she actually meant to write 4 cups of chicken and thus encouraging you to quadruple the recipe for a party?