Recipes from Miss Amelia’s Nut House Kitchen

With all those guns going off in Riverville, Miss Amelia thought it would be a good idea to divert everybody’s attention from the real things by having a special day with a little firepower of her own. That was a big day at the Nut House.PISTOL PACKING PECAN DAY, the banner over the door read. The hotter the day got, the hotter the food and the happier the people of Riverville. Again, Miss Amelia thinks a little Garrison’s Bourbon never hurt one single soul in this world, so she’s put it in the recipes. If you’re a teetotaler, leave it out but you won’t get to heaven any sooner than the rest of us.

TWENTY-ONE GUN SALUTE PECAN SOUP

Plenty of firepower in a bowl.

4 tbsps. butter

1 tsp. vegetable oil

1 large garlic clove, crushed

2 cups shelled and chopped pecans

1¼-inch-thick slice of round country bread

4 large tomatoes, quartered

4 chipotle chilies in adobo

7 cups milk

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

6 pecan halves, for garnish

Dash of Garrison’s Bourbon—for old time’s sake

Melt butter in oil over medium heat in a big pot. Add garlic, pecans, and bread.

Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and turning garlic and bread once, until garlic is fragrant and bread is golden.

Transfer half the pecan mixture, half the tomatoes, half the chilies and 1½ cups milk to a blender. Puree until smooth.

Repeat with remaining pecan mixture, tomatoes, chilies and 1½ cups milk.

Pour mixture back into pot, along with remaining milk, salt and pepper, and bourbon.

Bring to a boil, then simmer about 3 minutes.

Serve hot, garnishing each bowl with a pecan half.

HUNTER’S SCATTERSHOT PECAN BREAD

Hunter swears by this sweet bread his mother used to make. One condition of their wedding is that Lindy learns to make it. If not, he’ll make it himself. Which Lindy thinks is a better idea.

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsps. baking powder

2 tsps. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

½ cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 tbsp. Garrison’s Bourbon

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

GLAZE

⅓ cup firmly packed brown sugar

⅓ cup butter

¼ cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

Combine all remaining ingredients, except pecans, in a large bowl.

Beat at medium speed, scraping often, until well mixed.

Reduce speed to low, beat gradually.

Add in flour mixture until moistened.

Stir in 1 cup of pecans.

Spoon batter into greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.

Bake for 60–65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans.

Combine brown sugar and ⅓ cup butter in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil (3–4 minutes). Spoon glaze over warm loaf.

Sprinkle with ¼ cup of chopped pecans.

MORTON SHRIFT’S BARKING BETTY’S PRALINE PECAN BARK

A lot easier than pie and a great treat for the boys at the bar.

1 lb. milk chocolate candy coarsely chopped

½ cup toasted and chopped cashews

½ cup chopped pecans, toasted

½ tsp. cayenne pepper (you can use cinnamon if you want to)

In a microwave, melt candy; stir until smooth.

Stir in nuts and cayenne.

Spread onto a waxed paper-lined baking sheet.

Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until set.

Break into small pieces. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Yield: about 1½ pounds.

MISS EMILY’S OWN: BROWNING’S SMOKIN’ BROWNIES

Miss Emily likes these brownies ’cause she likes food with an extra kick.

2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for greasing

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

2 tsps. Garrison’s Bourbon

⅔ cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Press the paper into the corners of the pan and lightly grease the paper with butter.

Melt the 2 sticks of butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat; do not boil.

Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla to the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the cocoa, flour, cinnamon, chili powder, salt, and baking powder. Mix until smooth. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out fudgy, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack, then use the parchment paper to lift out the brownies before slicing.

Time: 35 minutes.

MISS ETHELRED’S HALF-COCKED CHICKEN WITH BOURBON MAPLE CREAM GRAVY AND A BUNCH OF PECANS

Miss Amelia swears Ethelred stole this recipe from her but you’ll never get Ethelred to admit it. If you write her and say you hate the recipe, she will either tell you there’s something wrong with your head, or she’ll blame it all on Miss Amelia—depending on her mood at the moment. Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup buttermilk

Vegetable oil—as needed in pan

¾ cup pecan halves

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsps. salt

Combine chicken and buttermilk in a large zip-lock bag and stick it in the refrigerator for 4–6 hours.

Place pecans in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Put in a pie plate and combine with flour and 2 tsp. salt.

Remove chicken from buttermilk and discard buttermilk. Dredge chicken in pecan-flour mix and turn to coat both sides well.

Heat oil in heavy pan. Fry chicken 6–7 minutes per side or until cooked through.

Place on wire rack to drain. Keep warm.

BOURBON MAPLE CREAM GRAVY

3 bacon slices

¼ cup chopped shallots

2½ tbsps. all-purpose flour

⅓ cup maple syrup

¼ cup whole grain Creole mustard

⅓ cup Garrison’s Bourbon

½ tsp. Dijon mustard

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper

1½ cups heavy cream

Cook bacon until crispy. Place on towels to drain. Crumble.

Add shallots to bacon drippings and sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes.

Stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Whisk in maple syrup, all mustards, bourbon, salt, and peppers.

Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in cream.

Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5–8 minutes or until thickened. If it gets too thick, thin with a little milk.

Top chicken with gravy and sprinkle with bacon crumbles and any pecans you’ve got left.

CECIL’S FIRE IN THE HOLE CAKES

Of course, Cecil wasn’t to be outdone. He brought these over to the Nut House himself. Miss Emily graciously accepted his cakes—with a sniff.

Makes 4 6-ounce cakes.

1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter plus more for buttering ramekins

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 whole eggs plus one tsp. Garrison’s Bourbon—for a taste of Texas

2 large egg yolks

¼ cup light brown sugar, packed

1 tsp. vanilla

Pinch of salt

3 tbsps. all-purpose flour

Chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Butter and lightly flour four 6-oz. ramekins. Tap out excess flour. Set ramekins on a baking sheet.

In a double boiler, over simmering water, melt butter with the chocolate.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, egg yolks, bourbon, brown sugar, and salt at high speed until thick and pale.

Add melted chocolate mixture and flour to egg mixture and fold together.

Spoon batter evenly into ramekins and bake for 10 minutes until cakes are set and puffed over the edges of ramekins.

Let the cakes set a minute or two. Hold hot ramekins with dishtowel over a dessert plate. If they don’t come right out run a knife around the edges.

Serve with sweet whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Don’t forget the chopped pecans on top.

MELODY AND MIRANDA’S DOUBLE-BARRELED BOURBON AND PECAN CAKE

The girls call this “A cake to make the gruffest cowboy howl at the moon.”

Makes 10 servings.

3½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1¾ cups Garrison’s Bourbon

¾ cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1½ cups butter

1 lb. dark brown sugar

6 eggs

2 lbs. chopped pecans

7 oz. pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an angel food cake pan.

Sift flour, baking powder, and nutmeg together in bowl.

In a small bowl, mix ¾ cup bourbon milk and vanilla together.

In a large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter until smooth and creamy.

Beat in brown sugar until mix is fluffed up.

Add eggs to the mix, beating one in at a time.

Beat flour mix and milk/bourbon mix into the large bowl, small amounts at a time.

With wooden spoon, stir chopped pecans into batter. Transfer batter to angel food cake pan.

Cover pan with foil and bake 1 hour 40 minutes.

Remove foil and bake another 20 minutes.

Let cake cool before removing from pan. Pierce the cake with a fork and pour 1 cup bourbon over the cake.

Decorate with pecan halves and serve.