Pecan cheese logs takes blue ribbon in State Fair pecan cooking contest

NC Pecan winners

RALEIGH – Patricia Sasser of Youngsville won $100 and a blue ribbon for her Pecan Cheese Log recipe in the N.C. Pecan Association Pecan Recipe Competition at the N.C. State Fair on Thursday. Faye Wood of Zebulon took second place and $50 for Hawaiian Pineapple Cake and Julie DePiro of Willow Spring took home $25 for her third-place entry, Pecan Pumpkin Crisp. Honorable Mention was given to Toni Gaskill of Greenville for Chocolate Chess Pie.

Recipes were judged on taste, appearance, creative use of pecans and ease of preparation.

The winning recipe follows:

Pecan Cheese Logs

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
1 ½ sticks butter or margarine, room temperature
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup finely chopped North Carolina pecans
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups self-rising flour
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Sift flour, pepper and paprika into a bowl. Grate cheddar and add to flour mixture along with parmesan cheese and butter. Mix well with a fork. Using floured fingers, roll dough into logs about ½-inch in diameter and 6 inches long on a lightly floured piece of wax paper. Cut logs into 2-inch pieces and roll in chopped pecans until covered. Bake on an ungreased sheet at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Remove from pan to cool. Can be stored in air-tight containers until ready to use.

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Hawaiian Pineapple Cake
Second Place: Faye Wood of Zebulon

1 pineapple cake mix (18.25 ounce)
6 ounce can crushed pineapple with juice
3 ounce instant vanilla pudding
2 tablespoons sour cream
4 eggs
½ cup water
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 cup chopped North Carolina pecans
½ cup flaked coconut

Grease and flour a 9-inch by 13-inch pan or Bundt pan; shake out excess flour, set aside. Mix first six ingredients, add oil and beat for 2 minutes. Stir in chopped pecans and coconut. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack and frost with your favorite frosting. Butter cream, cheese cream and butter, or vanilla pudding and cool whip, just a glaze if a Bundt pan is used. For the contest I used cream cheese and butter frosting, my family favorite.

Pecan Pumpkin Crisp
3rd place: Julie DePiro

1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
15 ounce can pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 package butter-flavored, yellow cake mix (18.25 ounce)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together the first five ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over butter mixture. Evenly sprinkle pecans over cake mix. Drizzle butter evenly over pecans. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Chess Pie
Honorable mention: Toni Gaskill of Greenville

1 ½ sticks butter
2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
½ tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups chopped pecans
3 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 pie crust or thawed, frozen unbaked pie shell
Whip cream for garnish, if desired

Preheat oven to 325. Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over medium heat. A double boiler may be used or simply a metal or glass bowl over a saucepan with 1-inch of boiling water. In another bowl beat eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla with mixer until combined. Remove chocolate mixture from heat and slowly add to beaten egg mixture stirring constantly being careful not to cook the eggs. Fold in pecans until well combined. Pour into thawed, unbaked pie shell or unbaked pie crust lined pie pan. Bake at 325 for about 25-30 minutes. Pie will continue to “set up” after removed from oven. Wait at least 20 minutes before serving or put in the refrigerator until about 5 or 10 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream if desired.