Pecan Pie Bark

13 graham crackers

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups pecan halves, roughly chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil. Lightly grease the foil with butter and line the baking sheet with graham crackers, breaking them where necessary to make them fit. Combine butter, brown sugar, pecans, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and let cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Immediately pour hot mixture over graham crackers and spread mixture to edges of pan using a spatula. Make sure pecans are evenly distributed and that crackers are covered. Bake until bubbly, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely and break into pieces. 

Mexican Wedding Cookies 

2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar 

1 tablespoon vanilla extract 

Zest of 1 orange 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

Pinch of kosher salt 

2/3 cup finely chopped pecans 

1/2 cup powdered sugar 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and orange zest until fully combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the flour mixture gradually to the mixer until just incorporated. Fold in the chopped pecans by hand. Using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, portion the dough onto a baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. Divide the chilled dough between 2 baking sheets, leaving about 1/2 inch between each cookie. Bake until just golden, about 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Once the cookies have cooled, place the powdered sugar into a shallow dish. Roll each cookie in the powdered sugar until completely coated. Makes around 40 cookies.

Pumpkin Cheesecake With Gingersnap Crust

12 ounces gingersnaps

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

6 tablespoons salted butter, melted

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar 

Dash of kosher salt 

Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree

3 large eggs, at room temperature 

1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature 

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel sauce, or Hot fudge sauce, optional

Whipped Cream, optional

Chopped pecans, optional

For the pumpkin gingersnap cheesecake: In a food processor or blender, grind the gingersnaps until fine. Pour into a bowl and stir in the pecans, melted butter, brown sugar and salt. Press into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. To make the filling, beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer until soft, scraping the sides once. Mix in the pumpkin, scraping the sides once or twice. Add the eggs 1 at a time, allowing them to mix in, then add the sour cream and mix. With the mixer on low, add the granulated sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. Thoroughly scrape the bowl and mix to ensure everything is smooth and mixed in. Pour the filling into the pan, smoothing the top. Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake until the filling is no longer soupy but still slightly jiggly, about 50 - 65 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the door just a hair and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 15 more minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes, then cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve with drizzle of sauce, a dollop of whipped cream, and a sprinkle of chopped pecans. 

Pecan Pie Cookies

1 cup packed brown sugar 

3/4 cup salted butter, softened

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Filling

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F. For cookies, beat butter and sugar on medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and mix. Reduce speed to low and add flour and baking powder. Beat until well mixed. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Make an indentation in each cookie with your thumb; rotate thumb to hollow out slightly. Combine all the filling ingredients (pecans through vanilla) in a small bowl. Fill each cookie with 1 rounded teaspoon of filling. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute on baking sheet then remove to cool completely on a wire rack or sheet of aluminum foil.