The Culinary Institute of America.
Visit
www.ciachef.edu for more recipe ideas.
As rich as a slice of pecan pie, pecan diamonds are bite-sized treasures that resemble
more of a confection than a bar cookie. As the holiday season approaches, you can
now create The Culinary Institute of America's renowned pecan diamonds that are
sold exclusively at the college's Apple Pie Bakery Café in Hyde Park, New York.
And Made by Me every year.
Pecan Diamonds
Yield: Four dozen 2-inch or eight dozen 1-inch diamonds
Cookie Dough
1 1⁄4 cups (2 1⁄2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3⁄4 cup sugar
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 2⁄3 cups cake flour, sifted
Filling
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1⁄2 cup sugar
1 cup honey
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
7 1⁄2 cups pecans, chopped
Cookie Dough: Cream together butter and sugar in a mixer bowl with the paddle
attachment on medium speed until smooth and light, 1–2 minutes. Gradually incorporate
egg and vanilla, stopping mixer and scraping bowl as necessary. Add flour and mix on
low speed until just blended, about 30 seconds. Do not overmix.
Place dough onto parchment paper or a lightly floured surface and shape into a flat
square. Wrap dough well with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line bottom of a 15-inch x 10-inch jelly roll pan with
parchment.
Roll dough out to a rectangle 17 inches x 12 inches x 1⁄8-inch thick. Transfer the rolled
dough to the baking pan, gently pressing it to the pan. Trim the edges with a paring
knife, and prick the bottom of the dough with the prongs of a fork to prevent bubbling
during baking.
Bake until dough is firm but has no color, about 10–12 minutes. Cool dough while you
make the filling.
Pecan Filling: Place the butter, sugars, honey, and cream into a heavy-bottom saucepot.
Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until it
reaches
240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove pot from the heat, add pecans,
and stir until fully incorporated. Immediately pour into the pre-baked crust and spread
into an even layer.
Bake in 350 degree F oven until the filling bubbles evenly across the surface and the
crust is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool thoroughly before cutting.
Remove from pan using a knife to release the edges and invert the slab onto the back of
a sheet pan. Transfer to a
cutting board by flipping it over so it is right side up. Trim off the edges and cut into 1-
or 2-inch diamonds.
The bars store well at room temperature, but can also be refrigerated or frozen as long as
wrapped airtight.
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