Although the turkey is the main attraction at every Thanksgiving Day meal, many sides — both savory and sweet — would not be as tasty without the help of a holiday season favorite.
Pecans are some of the most versatile nuts, which makes them perfect for holiday baking.
Popular year-round, pecans are heavily marketed from the beginning of October to the end of March.
Locally, some of the season’s biggest sellers of pecans, among other nuts, are members of the women’s civic club Altrusa International of Greenwood.
“This is about the eighth year in a row that we’ve done this fundraiser,” said Pat Gulledge, who is chair of Altrusa’s fundraising committee.
Gulledge and another Altrusa member, Sharon Wyatt, discovered the pecan sale fundraiser at a district Altrusa meeting. After deciding to try it out, the members took the pecan sale fundraiser and ran with it.
“It turned out well the first year, and, ever since then, our profit margin has gone up every year,” said Gulledge.
This year, the club sold about 1,200 bags of nuts, including its best-seller, pecan halves. The total amount sold weighed about 1,300 pounds.
“All of the money we raise helps fund all of our many projects,” said Altrusa President Loretta Assini.
The Altrusa Pecan Sale is the club’s only fundraiser for the year, and the proceeds help the club with its community service projects, such as its partnership with The Salvation Army’s Christmas assistance program, Angel Tree, its Begin with Reading literacy program, its SOS (Support Our Soldiers) project and providing snacks to patients at the Cancer Center of Greenwood.
Altrusa also sponsors the high school girls community service club, ASTRA.
The fundraiser is a hit not only because of the many generous people who want to support a good cause, but also because the tasty product arrives right in time for when holiday bakers begin gearing up for the season of cooking — from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
“We try to have them here before Thanksgiving for people who are baking for Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Assini.
Popular year-round, pecans are heavily marketed from the beginning of October to the end of March.
Pecans are almost never absent from a holiday meal table.
“As far back as you can remember, pecan pie and pumpkin pie are associated with every Thanksgiving,” said Assini.
Many recipes involving pecans are for sweets, but the nuts can be used for savory treats, too.
“I put pecans in pimiento cheese, and everybody says my pimiento cheese is to die for,” said Gulledge. “I had never thought about putting pecans in it before, but I did one day, and it turned out really good. That’s the only way I make it now.”
Sweet potato casserole is a dish often served at Thanksgiving feasts, with many opting to top the casserole with a pecan-brown sugar mixture instead of the traditional marshmallow topping. Some even add both.
“I don’t bake pies that often, but I crunch walnuts and make walnut-crusted salmon or pecan-crusted salmon, or I make a Waldorf salad,” said Assini. “And nuts are good for you. Now people are looking for ways to have healthy snacks, and nuts are a good way to go.”
Gulledge said she also adds crushed pecans to the outside of her cheese ball, which “makes it taste so good.”
One easy way to enjoy pecans during the holiday season is melt chocolate bark and drizzle it over the nuts for a sweet snack.
“One good thing about the pecan sale is the customers who we have are eager for it the next year,” said Gulledge.
Assini said she frequently gets asked, “When will you start selling nuts?” each year.
Altrusa has a limited number of nuts available, including white chocolate pecans, cashews, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, mixed nuts and pecan samplers consisting of milk chocolate, white chocolate, cinnamon and praline-frosted pecans.
To purchase a bag, call 299-5770.
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With Thanksgiving just a few days away, Altrusa members shared some of their favorite recipes that include pecans and other nuts:
CHEESE BALL
1 jar dried beef
1 jar green olives
1 can mushrooms
1 bunch green onions
4 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese
1 tablespoon Accent seasoning
Pecans, chopped
Chop beef, olives, mushrooms and onions. Mix with cheese and Accent. Shape into four balls, and roll in pecans. May freeze if desired.
ABBY’S FAMOUS PECAN PIE
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1⁄3 cup butter, melted
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
9-inch unbaked pie crust
1 heaping cup pecan halves
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine corn syrup, sugar, eggs, butter, salt and vanilla; mix well. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust. Sprinkle with pecan halves. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until center is set. (Toothpick inserted in center will come out clean when pie is done.) If crust or pie appears to be getting too brown, cover with foil for the remaining baking time. Cool.
Top it with a bit of whipped cream if desired.
CASHEW CRUNCH
1 can (9.5 ounces or 2 cups) roasted, salted cashew halves with pieces (see notes below)
1 cup granulated sugar
1½ cups light corn syrup
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Grease a cookie sheet with butter, and set it aside. In a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl, stir together the nuts, sugar and corn syrup.
Microwave uncovered on high for three minutes. Stir well.
Microwave uncovered on high for three more minutes until the mixture is light brown. Stir well.
Using oven mitts, remove the nut mixture from the microwave. (It will be extremely hot.) Stir in the butter and vanilla.
Microwave uncovered on high for three additional minutes until the mixture is caramel-colored.
Use oven mitts to remove mixture from microwave.
Add baking soda. Stir quickly until light and foamy and the baking soda is thoroughly mixed in.
Immediately and very carefully pour onto prepared cookie sheet, and use the back of a spoon to spread out as quickly as possible. (The brittle will be very thick.)
Let brittle stand until completely cool, about 30 minutes. Break into pieces and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container up to two weeks. It also freezes well.
NOTES:
• Break whole cashews into halves before starting.
• The candy is easier to clean off the glass measuring bowl if using hot water and dish soap.
CARAMEL PENUCHE
l½ cups sugar
1/3 cup milk
¼ cup margarine
49 (14-ounce bag) caramels
¾ cup chopped nuts
Combine sugar, milk and margarine in 2-quart mixing bowl. Microwave seven minutes on high, stirring after 2 minutes. Add caramels. Microwave 45 seconds to one minute on high. Beat vigorously until mixture is smooth. Add nuts; mix well. Pour into lightly greased 8-inch square pan.
Cool, and cut into squares.
NUT-CRUSTED FISH WITH ASPARAGUS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat two baking trays with a cooking spray. Place a handful of nuts (almonds, walnuts or other choice of nuts) in a small Ziploc bag.
Using a mallet or meat tenderizer, pound the nuts until they are in small crumb-like pieces (the finer the better.)
Take a fillet of fish (salmon, tilapia, grouper, fillet of sole, etc.), and lightly coat it on one side with Dijon mustard.
Cut a hole at the bottom of the Ziploc bag, and gently sprinkle fillet with the nut crumbs.
Place those fillets top side down onto baking trays, and coat with mustard and sprinkle the nut crumbs on top.
Wash asparagus, pat dry and cut off bottom ends. Place onto baking tray, and gently sprinkle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and seasoned bread crumbs.
Place both trays into oven; cook for 20 minutes, or until fish is golden brown.
WALDORF-LIKE SALAD
Handful walnuts
Greens of choice
Small green apple
Handful craisins or raisins
Crumbled cheese (goat or blue is suggested)
Olive oil, to taste
Balsamic vinegar, to taste
Place a handful of walnuts into a small Ziploc bag, and break into pieces. Add to top of greens. Core a small green apple, slice it into thin slivers and add. Add a handful of craisins or raisins and crumbled cheese. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar; season to taste, and mix well.
PARTY MIX
1 box Honey Nut Cheerios
1 box Corn Chex
1 box Rice Chex
Mixed nuts
Pretzels
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (hickory smoked)
2 tablespoons Tabasco
1 tablespoon liquid smoke mixed with a stick of margarine
2 tablespoons seasoned salt
2 tablespoons celery salt
2 tablespoons garlic salt
Put the cereals, nuts and pretzels into a large mixing bowl. Mix all the spices and margarine together and pour over the cereal, nuts and pretzels. Bake at 250 for two hours, stirring at 15-minute intervals.
FIG AND WALNUT TORTA
32 ounces cream cheese
½ pound butter
1 cup sour cream
1 cup fig preserves (if using whole figs, puree in food processor)
2 cups walnuts, chopped
Let cream cheese and butter come to room temperature. Whip cream cheese until smooth, and then add butter, continuing to whip until smooth. Whip in sour cream.
Spray springform pan with spray oil. Put 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture into the springform pan, and smooth out. Add fig preserves to the rest of the cream cheese mixture. Top with another 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture.
Add 1 cup of chopped walnuts to the cream cheese mixture and top the torta with the remaining amount. Chill overnight. When ready to serve, take out of springform pan and place on cake plate and garnish with 1 cup of walnuts.
MAPLE WALNUT WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
1 pouch (1 pound, 1.5 ounces) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tablespoon maple flavor
1 egg
1½ cups white vanilla baking chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, maple flavor and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in baking chips and walnuts.
Using small cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 13 to 14 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool two minutes; remove from cookie sheets to wire rack. Cool completely. Store covered at room temperature.
• Contact Ruthie Robison at 581-7235 or rrobison@gwcommonwealth.com.
