Pecans, Cake, Crackers

DEAR SOS: The Gumbo Pot at the Farmer’s Market serves peppered pecans that I would love to make at home, especially when the holidays come up. Can you get the recipe?

--POLLY

DEAR POLLY: Chuck Myers, owner of the Gumbo Pot, graciously complied. The spicy, sweet nuts are served on their fried chicken salad with creamy pecan dressing, but they are also great alone as hot snacks.

GUMBO POT PEPPERED PECANS

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces pecan halves

Mix together sugar, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat cast-iron skillet until hot enough to vaporize water. Shake pecans in skillet 1 minute to release oil. Lightly toast until fragrant. Add half pepper mixture, shaking pecans constantly. When sugar begins to caramelize, add remaining pepper mixture, shaking pecans constantly. Turn out to cool and separate. Makes 2 cups.

DEAR SOS: I’m interested in replacing the recipe for Irish Cream Cake, which I lost. Can you help?

--STELLA

DEAR STELLA: Of course! This favorite cake can be made with any Irish cream liqueur.

IRISH CREAM CAKE

1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix

1 (4-ounce) package instant chocolate pudding and pie filling mix

3/4 cup oil

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup vodka

1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur

4 eggs

Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, water, vodka, liqueur and eggs in bowl. Beat until smooth. Pour into greased and floured 10-inch bundt pan or angel-food cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees 40 to 50 minutes or until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean. Makes 10 servings.

DEAR SOS: How about a recipe for making soda crackers? I have searched cookbooks to no avail.

--ELLENE

DEAR ELLENE: Our sympathies. It’s not an easy recipe to find. But we’ve had one for Soda Crackers in our file for some time.

SODA CRACKERS

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 egg, lightly beaten

Mix together flour, salt and baking soda in bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles cornmeal. Stir in buttermilk and egg and mix well. Turn out onto lightly floured board and knead gently 5 minutes.

Roll out 1/2 dough into rectangle about 1/16-inch thick. Transfer to greased baking sheet. Perforate dough into 1-inch squares with fluted pastry wheel. Pierce with fork. Bake at 400 degrees 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Break squares apart. Repeat procedure with remaining dough. Makes 60 (2-inch) crackers.