Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Go nuts for National Pecan Month
Go nuts for National Pecan Month
April is National Pecan Month, so think beyond the pie, and celebrate with cake and other recipes.
In the kitchen of Malvern’s Strawberry Bakery, French chef JeanPierre Bournazel multitasked — prepping a 12-foot piece of puff pastry for Napoleons, cutting lemon squares and creating Instagramworthy praline chocolate cakes.
“Allors, I need to do a ganache,” he said whisking together heavy cream and chocolate.
Saturday’s National Pecan Day and April’s National Pecan Month. So think beyond the pie and celebrate with cake instead.
“To make good pecan or nut cake, make sure you roast your nuts fresh from the morning,” explained Bournazel, who shared his recipe at a recent pastry class. “You will get at least 50-percent more flavor. And also I do like sometimes to leave the skin on the nuts because that gives extra flavor too.”
“Toasting your nuts makes such a huge difference,” agreed chef George Bieber of Shorty’s Sunflower Cafe in Pottstown. “It brings out the nut oils and flavors of the pecans.”
Snack on his seasoned pecans or sprinkle them on salad instead of croutons. For breakfast, try a green apple-pecan smoothie with homemade pecan milk. At lunch, serve grilled cheese with pecan and sundried tomato spread. And for dinner, savor apple-stuffed, maple-pecan chicken.
“Pecans have such an amazing flavor, especially when toasted,” described Rachel VanDuzer for Weaver’s Orchard in Morgantown. “They add a nice crispy texture to the chicken, and the oils in the pecans help lock in the moisture in the chicken.”
Plus, she continued, “Since nuts aren’t something I eat every day, they often bring back good memories snacking on trail mix on road trips, enjoying pecan pastries while traveling abroad, recreating maple-pecanthemed dishes like this chicken dish and a maple-pecan granola inspired by cute restaurants in Vermont.”
In a nutshell, now’s the time to whip up a favorite recipe or crack open some new ones.