Festive Date Pecan Pudding Recipes

TOASTED PECAN PUDDING

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the butter, coconut, flour, pecans and sugar. Spread into an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 325° for 30 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Cool. , Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat pudding mix and milk on low speed for 2 minutes. Chill for 5 minutes. Fold in the whipped topping. Place half of the pecan mixture in a 13x9-in. dish. Spread pudding mixture over pecan mixture. Top with remaining pecan mixture. Chill until serving.

OLD FASHIONED DATE PUDDING

Steps:

• In a saucepan, bring 1 cup brown sugar and water to a boil. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add butter; set aside. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and remaining brown sugar. Stir in milk until smooth. add dates and walnuts., Pour hot brown sugar syrup into an 8-in. square baking dish. Spoon batter over syrup. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cake topping comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped cream.

CHERRY PECAN CHRISTMAS PUDDING

Steps:

• Put the mixed fruit, halved glacé cherries, mixed peel, carrot, and lemon and orange zest in a bowl with the sugar and spice. Pour in the lemon juice and alcohol, and stir really well. Cover and leave to soak overnight.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and put a full kettle of water on to boil. Grease a 1.5-litre pudding basin and put a disc of baking parchment in the base. Stir the eggs into the fruit mixture, then stir in the chopped nuts, flour and breadcrumbs. Finally, grate in the frozen butter, stirring the mixture frequently so that it evenly disperses.
• For the topping, mix the soft butter and golden syrup together, and spread over the bottom of the basin. Pile in the whole cherries, orange segments and whole nuts, breaking the pecans in half as you add them. Try not to just make a thick layer of fruit and nuts on the base - ease some up the side too. Spoon in the pudding mixture and level the top, then cover with baking parchment and foil. Tie the top with string or an extra-large rubber band, then place in a roasting tin and pour in the water from the kettle. Cover the whole thing with a tent of foil to seal in all the steam, then place in the oven for 6 hrs. This gives a light pudding, so if you prefer a darker one, cook for up to 8 hrs. Will keep in the fridge for 1 month. If you want it to last longer, omit the orange segments.
• To serve, steam in a large pan with an upturned saucer on the base for 2 hrs, then turn out and decorate with holly, if you like. Serve with Brandy syrup cream (see 'Goes well with').

DATE PUDDING

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the dates, walnuts and sugar. In another bowl, beat egg, milk and vanilla. Add to date mixture; mix well. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to the date mixture. , Spread into a greased 1-qt. baking dish; dot with butter. Bake at 325° for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve with whipped cream.

PECAN-STUFFED DATES

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the shallot and a generous pinch of salt and cook for 2-3 mins until softened, then add the garlic, breadcrumbs, pecans and thyme and cook for 1 min more. Add a splash of vegetable stock to bring the mixture together, then set aside.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cut the dates in half lengthways (but don't cut all the way through). Take small balls of the stuffing and push inside the dates, then push the sides of the dates back together. Put a sage leaf on top of each date, then put the dates on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Get ahead by prepping your dates up to this point - they will keep in the fridge overnight ready to be baked.
• Brush the outside of the dates liberally with olive oil, then bake for 15-20 mins until the sage leaf is crisp. Serve immediately.