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A Sweet Bourbon Treat

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

 


Kay Holseberg of Molly & Me Pecans (inset) sells her bourbon-flavored snacks online and in several markets in Charleston; photographs (2) by Chelsie Mummert

december 16, 2015

A Sweet Bourbon Treat
Holiday guests will go nuts for these easy-to-make candied pecans

 

Few treats are as holiday-party-perfect as candied nuts, especially when they’re locally inspired. Below, Kay Holseberg, who established Molly & Me Pecans in 2008 in Charleston, shares her recipe for bourbon pecans. While they’re sure to get gobbled up during cocktail hour, they also make delicious Yuletide offerings. “Put them in a mason jar,” says Holseberg, “and you’ve got a sure-fire hit for brown-liquor lovers.”

1. In a large bowl, stir together 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, one tablespoon cinnamon, one teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Set aside.

2. In another large bowl, combine three tablespoons pecan-flavored bourbon (Holseberg uses the William Wolf brand), one tablespoon honey, and one tablespoon vanilla. Add in one egg white (discard the yolk) and whisk ingredients until frothy. Then, add in one pound of pecan halves.

3. Remove the pecans from the bourbon mixture (leaving behind any extra liquid) and add them to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir to coat.

4. Pour the nuts onto a Silpat-lined cookie sheet and bake at 250°F for one hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes with a spatula. The pecans will clump together—use two forks to separate them after baking. (They’ll be sticky until they cool.)

5. Cool completely and enjoy. The nuts will keep for a month in a tin or tightly closed container.

To find more recipes from local chefs, click here.

To read more stories from our December issue, click here.