Perfect Pecan Praline Muffins

These muffins are like having your own personal streusel cake all to yourself – but for breakfast! Just sweet enough to give you an extra boost in the morning – or a late night snack if that’s your desire.

Perfect Pecan Praline Muffins
by Louise Chiffonade Brescia
Makes 12 Muffins

Pecan Streusel Mixture:
6 Tablespoons flour
6 Tablespoons oats
Small pinch of salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup roughly chopped Truly Good Foods Pecan Pralines 
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter cut into small dice
                                                                   
Muffin Batter:
2 1/4 cups flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3⁄4 cup milk

1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1⁄4 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled

First, prepare the streusel. Combine all streusel ingredients in a small bowl and using fingers, press mixture together until crumbly. Store covered in the refrigerator while muffin batter is being prepared.

For muffin batter...in a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, granulated and brown sugar. In a glass measure, combine the milk, egg, and vanilla and beat gently with a fork. Add to the flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula, mix with a few swift strokes. Add the melted butter. Continue mixing, thoroughly but only enough to combine.

Prepare a muffin tin with parchment squares that extend out of each muffin cup. Two half-sheets of
parchment cut into 6 squares each works nicely. Apply vegetable spray to the muffin tin and press a parchment square into each muffin cup. Spray the parchment. (If the parchment resists staying in the cup, the weight of the batter will secure it.) Scoop 3 ounces of batter into each muffin cup. Remove streusel mixture from refrigerator and gently mix it with a fork to break up large lumps. Evenly distribute the streusel topping among the muffins, gently sprinkling the mixture on top of each muffin. Do not compact the streusel into the muffin batter.

Bake in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time. Muffins may be drizzled with a thin powdered sugar icing, or sprinkled with powdered sugar, if desired.

Anytime Dump Cookies

This is a go to recipe for me at any given occasion. Tender, crispy and you can add anything you want. I recommend keeping this recipe on a short leash if you like to make cookies.

Truly Good Foods has some of the best nuts, seeds, and mixtures I have ever had. They are really amazing and you should definitely look them up when you want a little something special to snack on. In the mean time...bake up a batch of these and be amazed.

Anytime Dump Cookies
by Traci
Adapted from The Taste of Home Cookbook - Busy Family Edition, recipe By Wendy Coalwell, Abbeville, Georgia

1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups quick oats
1 cup ground Truly Good Foods Praline Pecans

In a mixing bowl, combine shortening and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure they are combined. Add vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add to wet ingrediants. Mix in oats and ground pecans. Using a small cookie scoop place 2 inches apart on an ungreased sheet. Bake at 325°F for 10 minutes or until brown. Place on a wire rack to cool. Please visit the Truly Good Foods website. They are amazing!!!

Buffalo Shrimp

It’s football season! That means Sunday get-togethers with great friends and family. A football party isn’t a party without plenty of appetizers. We like a large variety of appetizers and they must be “one-hand” friendly. One of my favorite appetizers to make on game day is Buffalo Shrimp. When 37 Cooks announced the Truly Good Foods Challenge, I was really excited to see the amazing selection of nuts they were sending! To my delight, they sent Buffalo Nuts! These nuts pack a spicy punch and I knew they would take my Buffalo Shrimp to a new level!

Buffalo Shrimp
by Susan R-H

8 ounces Truly Good Foods Buffalo Nuts
5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if desired)

12 jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, with tails on
Peanut or canola oil for frying
Salt
2 ounces Truly Good Foods Buffalo Nuts, chopped for garnish

Place the nuts, flour and cayenne pepper (if using) in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until you have a breadcrumb-like texture. Transfer the nut mixture to a large plate and shake to even out the mixture. Moisten the shrimp very lightly with water. I used a spray bottle. Dredge each shrimp with the nut mixture and gently pat to make sure it adheres to the shrimp. Add enough oil to a large skillet to have 1/2 inch. Heat over medium until the oil reaches 330°F. I used an instant-read thermometer.

Cooking 4 shrimp at a time to maintain the oil temperature, add the shrimp to the hot oil. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. The shrimp will form a “C” when fully cooked. Do not overcook! Remove the shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate. Lightly sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining shrimp. These shrimp will have a flavorful crunchy exterior. Serve with your favorite blue cheese dressing and buffalo sauce. Garnish the finished shrimp with the chopped Buffalo Nuts. These shrimp were the hit of our most recent football party!

Thai Buffalo Peanut Sauce over Zoodle Salad

Man, these Buffalo Nuts by Truly Good Foods are AWESOME! My husband was in agony because I let him have a sample and then told him he couldn’t have anymore. LOL! I’m mean! I made this recipe for him today and I think he’s going to forgive me. So, if you can resist eating the Buffalo Nuts by the fistful, try this recipe!

Thai Buffalo Peanut Sauce over Zoodle Salad
by Woo

1 1/4 cup Truly Good Foods Buffalo Nuts, divided
13.5 ounce can of coconut milk
2 Tablespoon of fish sauce
1 Tablespoon of soy sauce
Zest of half a lime
Juice of half a lime
1 large garlic clove, smashed and minced
3 slices of peeled, fresh ginger (about the size of a quarter), smashed and minced
3 Tablespoons of agave nectar (or brown sugar)
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
Sambal olek to taste (optional)

1 small zucchini
1 yellow squash
Handful of red and gold cherry tomatoes
6 sugar snap peas
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Mix of fresh tender herbs: mint, cilantro, basil

Chop 1/4 cup of the Buffalo Nuts and set aside. Place the remaining cup of nuts into a blender with the rest of the ingredients up through the sesame oil. Blend on high until smooth. I used a Vitamix and it took about three to four minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. I thought this had a pleasant amount of heat. If you like it spicier, add the sambal olek to taste.

I used a spiral cutter to shred the squash into “noodles” or “Zoodles”. Halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes, slice the sugar snap peas on the bias, slice the green onion, and toss everything into a big bowl. Add about 1/2 cup of Thai Buffalo Peanut Sauce and gently toss to coat. Garnish with the remaining chopped peanuts. Chiffonade a few leaves of each of the herbs and sprinkle over the salad.

Grilled Spicy Lamb Loin Chops with Blackened Pumpkin Seed Pesto and Roasted Vegetables

I love spice! The spicier the better. This flavorful dish packs a lot of flavor. The Pesto makes a great accompaniment to the spicy lamb. Pesto is so versatile and can be made with a variety of seeds, nuts and greens. The possibilities are endless. The Blackened Pumpkins Seeds from Truly Good Foods are subtly sweet and work to mellow out the peppery flavor of the arugula. These seeds are a fabulous snack, too. I had a hard time saving enough to complete the recipe! I have also been snacking on some of their other varieties. Be sure and check out their Praline Pecans, Buffalo Nuts and Butter Toffee Peanuts.

Grilled Spicy Lamb Loin Chops with Blackened Pumpkin Seed Pesto and Roasted Vegetables
by Tracy Hersh
Serves 4

Lamb:
8 lamb loin chops
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Coat the lamb with olive oil on all sides. In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Rub the spice mixture evenly all over the lamb chops. Heat grill to high heat. When grill is hot, sear seasoned lamb chops for 2 minutes on each side. Reduce the heat to medium and grill, turning occasionally, until desired temperature is reached. I used this chart and cooked them to medium. Remove from grill and loosely cover with foil. Allow the chops to rest for about 5 minutes. Serve with Blackened Pumpkin Seed Pesto and Roasted Vegetables (recipes below).

Blackened Pumpkin Seed Pesto:

2 cups baby arugula, packed
1 avocado, peeled and seed removed.
2 cloves garlic
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup Truly Good Foods Blackened Pumpkin Seeds, plus additional for garnish
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 2 limes
Salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined, thick and smooth. If you like a thinner consistency, add a little more lime juice and adjust salt as needed. Makes about 1 cup. Serve garnished with additional Truly Good Foods Blackened Pumpkin Seeds.

Roasted Vegetables:
1/2 butternut squash, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 parsnips, sliced into rounds
6 small purple potatoes, quartered
6 yellow carrots, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place the vegetables, olive oil, oregano, thyme, and salt in a sealable plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake it up, making sure the oil and seasonings coat them evenly. Spread the vegetables onto a large baking sheet and roast 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Serve.

Praline Pecan Bundt Cake with Chocolate Rum Sauce

Praline Pecans. Sound like something you could eat by the handful? The Praline Pecans from the nice folks at Truly Good Foods are just that...something I could eat by the handful. They are SO good! But, "eat Praline Pecans by the handful" doesn't make for a very good recipe. While happily munching away on them and trying to restrain myself from eating every last one and not leaving any for a recipe, I had a brainstorm. They would be perfect to use in a cake. With chocolate sauce. With more Praline Pecans sprinkled on top. Oh, my! So, here's my creation. My husband loved it, my son and daughter-in-law loved it and I loved it. I hope you love it, too!

Praline Pecan Bundt Cake with Chocolate Rum Sauce
by Susan W.
Adapted from Carlsbad Cravings Toffee Pecan Caramel Pound Cake

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk
2 cups toasted and chopped Truly Good Foods Praline Pecans, divided
Non-stick cooking spray
Chocolate glaze (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 325°F. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, toast 2 cups of Truly Good Foods Praline Pecans for just 5 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Spray bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray and then generously flour the inside. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and start adding eggs, one at a time, beating just until each egg is incorporated.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture alternately with milk, beating until each addition is just combined. Fold in 1 1/2 cups chopped praline pecans then spoon batter into prepared bundt pan.

Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted near the center of cake comes out clean, about 60 to 75 minutes. If cake is browning too much on top, but isn’t quite done yet, cover top with foil.

Let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. Make your Chocolate Rum Sauce.

Chocolate Rum Sauce

by Susan W.
Adapted from allrecipes.com Easy Homemade Chocolate Sauce

6 Tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons half and half, plus a little more for thinning (if needed)
1 Tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons rum
Tiny pinch of salt

In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, flour and cocoa powder, making sure to get rid of any lumps.

In a saucepan heat half and half, butter and vanilla over medium heat until butter is completely melted. Stir in rum.

Whisk sugar mixture into the half and half mixture, a little bit at a time. Increase heat to medium-high until mixture comes to a simmer. Stirring constantly, cook for 5 minutes. If needed, you can whisk in a little more half and half if the sauce is a little too thick (I added 1 teaspoon at a time. It took 2 extra teaspoons to reach the consistency I was happy with.) After sauce has cooked for 5 minutes, turn off heat and whisk in a pinch of salt.

Drizzle warm Chocolate Rum Sauce over top of bundt cake and sprinkle with extra chopped Praline Pecans. Serve and enjoy!