pecans Archives - Wood & Spoon

Strawberries and Cream Pie

It’s finally starting to feel like summer. Sure, the weather is warmer and the days are getting longer, but I can feel the energy in our house changing too. With the school year and extracurricular activities coming to a close, my heart is ready to settle into a summer pace. Today, I want to share a yummy recipe that features my favorite bit of warm weather produce: strawberries. This strawberries and cream pie is a unique way to share summer’s best fruit, so let’s dive in.

Remember that blueberry sour cream pie I made a few years ago? I absolutely LOVED that one. Including sour cream in a custardy dessert was such a new concept for me, and I loved the balance of flavors it brought to the pie. Well, it turns out that the sour cream method can extend into other desserts, too, because this strawberries and cream pie is the bomb. Although it didn’t turn out as polished looking as I would have hoped, it was one of those bakes that I couldn’t keep my hands off of it. After photographing the pie for this post, I found myself picking at the cut slices, nibbling at bits of crumb and enjoying bites of berry and cream. It was perfectly imperfect, and I was altogether thrilled.

Making the Pie

This strawberries and cream pie has a sweet and salty graham cracker crust that features finely chopped pecans, both for flavor and texture. If you’re in a rush, you can skip the homemade crust and opt for a store-bought graham cracker crust instead, but don’t hesitate to try making one from scratch if you haven’t before. Homemade crusts like this one have way more texture, and the addition of the pecans makes it really special.

The filling for this pie is beyond simple. Sour cream, milk, eggs, sugar, and flour get blended together until frothy. After being mixed, the filling is poured into the prepared crust before being topped with sliced strawberries. Here, I used fresh berries, but you could also thaw and rinse frozen sliced ones as well! After a bake in the oven, the pie is topped with even more crumble and baked a bit more until set. The final product is a pie with loads of flavor, crunch, and creamy filling to boot.

Whatever your coming summer months look like, I hope you’ll consider making this strawberries and cream pie! It’s just the thing to get you in the mood for the warmer days ahead. Happy Thursday to y’all and happy baking!

If you like this strawberries and cream pie you should try:

Blueberry Sour Cream Pie
Strawberry Icebox Pie
No-Churn Strawberry Pretzel Ice Cream
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Strawberry Slab Pie

Strawberries and Cream Pie

Print Recipe

This strawberries and cream pie features and creamy custard filling, a salted graham cracker pecan crust, and fresh summer berries!

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 25
Cook Time: 45
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 9 Servings
Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
¾ cup finely chopped pecans
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup Unsalted Butter, melted

For the pie filling:

¾ cup sour cream
¼ cup milk
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
¾ cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1–1/2 teaspoons vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped strawberries, stemmed

For the crumb topping:

1 tablespoon flour
1–1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
1–1/2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans

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Instructions

To prepare the pie crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your crust: combine the graham cracker crumbs, pecans, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and stir to combine. Press the wet crumbs into the bottom and sides of a 9” tart pan with a removable bottom. I like to press a small amount of crumbs up the length of the sides first and then press the remaining into the bottom. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are turning gold and the bottom is set.

To prepare the pie:

Place the prepared pie crust on a sheet pan. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combined the sour cream, milk, egg, egg yolk, sugar, flour, vanilla, and salt. Beat on medium speed for 4 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared crust and scatter the strawberries on top. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the top of the pie feels kind of set but is still a little jiggly in the center. In the meantime, prepare the crumb by combining the flour, sugar, graham cracker crumbs, and butter with the back of a fork. Toss in the pecans and set aside. Once the top of the pie feels kinda set, remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle on the crumb topping. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the crumb is golden and the pie is completely set. Allow to cool prior to serving!

Hummingbird Layer Cake

37 Comments / Cakes

In my recent years of being educated into Southern culture, there are a few things I’ve learned to be true. I’ve learned that you will be called “Ma’am,” no matter how old you are. I’ve found that iced tea does not come unsweetened; chicken is best served fried. Finally, moreso than football, camouflage, or pickup trucks, Southerners are really serious about their family recipes.

During my first year of living in Selma, Alabama, I discovered a number of foods for the first time. Skillet cornbread, fried pork chops, and chocolate chess pie were all foods that I barely knew existed and had definitely had never tried. Of all the bites I tasted during those early months in the deep South, one treat that stands out head and shoulders above all others in my mind is hummingbird layer cake, a cinnamon, pecan, and coconut flavored cake kept moist with the addition of bananas, crushed pineapple, and a sweet cream cheese frosting. While the combination of those ingredients seemed kinda odd to me, I nevertheless tried the cake and immediately fell in love.

Hummingbird Cake

Northerners, I’ll be honest- you’re missing out if you’ve never tried hummingbird cake. In true Southern form, this cake is heavy, rich, and moist, but the bright fruity flavors combined with the warm scent of cinnamon keeps you coming back for more and more. It’s a comforting recipe that somehow tastes like home, and I am beyond ecstatic to share the recipe for this delightful cake with you today!

This recipe for hummingbird cake comes from a darling Southern book written by my friend Katie Jacobs. “So Much To Celebrate” is an entertaining how-to filled with recipes, party ideas, and more. Katie, a Nashville native, put her keen eye for style, color, and Southern flair to use in this book that is equally beautiful as it is inspiring. While a number of recipes caught my eye, it was the hummingbird layer cake that stole my heart.

Making the Cake

To make this hummingbird layer cake, we start by mixing the wet ingredients with the sugar until light and fluffy. Next, several mashed bananas, crushed pineapple, pecans, and coconut are added, followed by the dry ingredients and a healthy spoon of cinnamon. The cake gets baked in four separate pans until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

The frosting for this hummingbird layer cake is ultra-rich but perfectly sweet. Butter and cream cheese are creamed together before powdered sugar and vanilla are whipped in. In true cream cheese frosting fashion, this icing is fairly loose, so to achieve clean edges, I refrigerated the cake throughout the icing process and tried not to fuss with it too much. As a garnish, I trimmed some fresh blooms, a sweet and feminine topping worthy of a Katie Jacobs cake. I think she would approve.

This hummingbird layer cake is out of this world, a delightful treat to enjoy all year round. If you’re looking for a gift idea for a lady in your life, check out her book at this link here! Katie represents Southern baking well, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Happy baking!

If you like this hummingbird layer cake you should check out:

Hummingbird Muffins

Almond Coconut Cake

Banana Coconut Chocolate Cream Pie

Hummingbird Layer Cake

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

This hummingbird cake is a Southern specialty from Katie Jacobs’ new book. Moist layers of cake made with cinnamon, banana, and crushed pineapple are filled with pecans and coconut, and the frosting is a rich and fluffy cream cheese icing.

Author: Katie Jacobs
Prep Time: 35
Cook Time: 35
Total Time: 90
Yield: 12

Ingredients

For the cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 large)
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

For the frosting:

1 pound (16 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1–1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted

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Instructions

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour four 8-inch round cake pans.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat oil, vanilla, and sugar until combined, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating each before adding the next. Beat at medium speed until mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix together banana, pineapple, pecans, and coconut. Add to egg mixture; stir until well combined. Add flour mixture; blend well.
Divide batter between pans. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes.
Transfer pans to a wire rack. Once cooled, invert cakes onto racks; reinvert, top side up. Cool completely. While cake is cooling, make frosting.

For the frosting:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream cheese and vanilla until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. With mixer on medium speed, gradually add butter, beating until incorporated. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add sugar, beating until incorporated. Use immediately to frost and layer the cake.

Notes

This frosting is rich and fairly loose. To help keep your cake edges clean, refrigerate the cake throughout the icing process to help it set up.

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Butterscotch Blondies

8 Comments / Cookies and Bars

You guys- THANK YOU. Thanks for being an awesome blog family. Thanks for not judging the amount of butter and cream cheese we consume here. And thank you for loving me in spite of my rambling and grammatical errors. Y’all are great.

One of my goals for 2018 was to spend more energy on gratitude- to live out days overflowing with thanksgiving. I know, I know, we talk about that a lot here, but it’s primarily because I require so many reminders to be thankful. Life tends to beat us up sometimes; I can’t help but wonder if a heart filled with gratitude might somehow manage to find the gold, even in those moments. Don’t you think so?

Gratitude

My mom bought me this book called “The Five Minute Journal.” As its name suggests, the journal requires just a few daily moments spent creating a few lists of gratitude: 3 Things I’m Grateful For, 3 Things That Would Make Today Great, 3 Awesome Things That Happened Today, etc. I’ve now spent 26 days jotting on those pages, and I have to tell you- I LOVE IT.

As humans, we dwell on the negative. Sometimes we get discouraged, kicked down, blown off. We guilt trip ourselves over the things we did wrong, the areas we failed, and in doing so, we completely miss the beauty that was scattered throughout the process. We lose sight of the tiny bits of hope and joy and goodness that are chalked all over our days. In the end, we forget to make the next day better.

Admittedly, some moments are harder than others. Weeks pained with illness and anger and loss and exhaustion are no stranger to humans. The realities of this world are a heavy burden to bear, even for the strongest of souls. But what if, even in the midst of trial, we were set on finding the good? What if we squinted and searched through the dark to find a glimmer of light that may have, even if only briefly, cast its warm glow on our story? Wouldn’t it feel good to be reminded of the sweet spots in our days?

Your Turn

So “The Five Minute Journal” has been really good for me. It’s challenged me to be thankful (when I feel anything but) and find the right (when all I see is wrong). I would challenge you to do the same: share some gratitude today. Love on someone or something who makes your world pretty and don’t miss the opportunity to swell with hope from all of the lovely things that are sitting right under your nose. My guess is that you have a lot to smile about if you’re willing to look hard.

Butterscotch Blondies

Things I’m grateful for this morning: these butterscotch blondies. Buttery, sweet, and salty blondies filled with butterscotch chips and toasty pecans are just about the best thing to sit on my kitchen counter in months. These taste like comfort food to me, and on cold, bleak January days, they’re about all I need to stay warm.

Making the Blondies

To make these butterscotch blondies, we start with butter. First, cream butter with the sugar. Next, eggs and vanilla add to the mix, followed by a few dry ingredients. Finally, before baking, butterscotch chips and chopped pecans stir in with an extra sprinkle of salt. That’s it! Butterscotch blondies might be the easiest thing you make all week.

After baking, these butterscotch blondies keep well in the freezer, maybe forever, but will otherwise be cozy in an airtight container for 2-3 days. I find that butterscotch blondies are best shared with a friend or two, so maybe make a double (or triple?) batch and love the crap out of your neighbors. Give these yummy treats a try, and if you’re looking to share the love, I hope you’ll pour it out with a healthy dose of thanks. I love y’all- have a great weekend.

If you like these butterscotch blondies, be sure to check out:

Pecan Toffee Blondies

Brown Butter Blondies: Two Ways

Pretzel Millionaire Bars

Pistachio Honey Bars

Derby Pie Bars

Pretzel Shortbread Peanut Butter Brownies

Butterscotch Blondies

Print Recipe

These butterscotch blondies are a sweet and salty treat, loaded with toasted pecans and perfect for sharing!

Author: Kate
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 25
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 12

Ingredients

½ cup (113 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup (150 gm) packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (130 gm) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (175 gm) butterscotch chips
¾ cup (75 gm) chopped pecans
Extra salt for sprinkling, if desired

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray an 8” square baking pan with baking spray.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir until just combined. Fold in the butterscotch chips and pecans. Sprinkle with additional salt, if desired.
Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted just barely comes out clean. Do not overbake. Slice and serve!

Crispy Butter Pecan Cookies

12 Comments / Cookies and Bars

I’ve reached the point of my pregnancy where I think my husband is becoming a bit concerned. Just the other day, he looked at me and said, “Why don’t you go take a shower… or cry… or do whatever you need to do. I’ll take care of Aimee for the rest of the night.” Catching my reflection in the mirror validated his voiced concerns- I looked greasy, tired, and a few minutes shy of a breakdown. So I got in the shower to a soak a bit, and in those minutes of quiet, I dreamed up today’s recipe: crispy butter pecan cookies.

Now, please don’t mistake my momentary exhaustion for a lack of gratitude. Even on the longest days and most sleepless of nights, I wouldn’t trade the hand I’ve been dealt for anything. It’s in those darkest hours of the night, sitting in the rocking chair in the corner of the nursery, when my big girl is sleeping soundly in my lap and I can feel the rolling movements of my baby boy underneath my skin, that the weight of God’s blessing in my life is almost more than I can bear. There is nothing I could ever do in my lifetime to earn this honor. This duty of motherhood, the title and tasks I wear some days as if it were a dried up milk stain on a favorite silk blouse, is a badge of undeserved love stamped on my life. It’s evidence of one million things I have to give thanks for. Someone, please, in a few months from now when I sit in that same nursery sleeplessly nursing, changing, and consoling the new baby we’re waiting for, remind me that this is a gifted treasure, not a burden to bear.

On that note, remind me also of these crispy butter pecan cookies.

There’s a lot to love about these little buddies- they’re buttery, crisp, and perfect with a cup of coffee- but they also contain only 5 ingredients and take only 20 minutes to make. If that doesn’t sound perfect for a busy mom’s schedule, I don’t know what does. The inspiration for these cookies came from my hometown hero, GMommas Cookies. OK, so I know I’ve already mentioned them more than a few times like here and here. But why mess with a good thing? These petite, bite-sized cookies are crisp all the way through and have a pronounced, real butter flavor that I have yet to find in many other recipes. Plus, as the cookies bake, the pecans become toasty and nutty and all together decadent.

Yeah, I know. Your mouth is watering. So do yourself a favor and next time you have a spare 20 minutes, grab a glass of milk and a handful of these crispy butter pecan cookies.

On second thought, grab two handfuls. You’re welcome.

Crispy Butter Pecan Cookies

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.7 from 3 reviews

These crispy butter pecan cookies are delicate, nutty, butter-packed, bite-sized morsels of nutty deliciousness. You cannot eat just one.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 20
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 72

Ingredients

1 stick of butter, room temperature, but not too soft
2/3 cup confectioners sugar
2/3 cup flour
3/4 cup of finely chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon salt

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and confectioners sugar until smooth.
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, chopped peans, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter and mix just until combined.
On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, scoop out 1 teaspoon balls of dough. For uniform cookies, gently and quickly roll each mound of dough into a ball.
Bake 13-18 minutes, or until cookies are fragrant, barely set, and browning on the bottom. Allow to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.

Notes

These cookies are mini! So while one batch makes 72, trust me- you’ll be glad you have extras.

pecans

Making the Pie

If you like this strawberries and cream pie you should try:

Strawberries and Cream Pie

Ingredients

For the crust:

For the pie filling:

For the crumb topping:

Instructions

To prepare the pie crust:

To prepare the pie:

Hummingbird Cake

Making the Cake

If you like this hummingbird layer cake you should check out:

Hummingbird Layer Cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

For the frosting:

Instructions

For the cake:

For the frosting:

Notes

Gratitude

Your Turn

Butterscotch Blondies

Making the Blondies

If you like these butterscotch blondies, be sure to check out:

Butterscotch Blondies

Ingredients

Instructions

Crispy Butter Pecan Cookies

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

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