Melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate Pecan Waffles make a breakfast memorable

Pecans—love ’em and hate ’em. Love ’em right now because of the promise of many this fall. The past two years, our pecan crop (from our dozen trees) has been terrible. This year we are full of hope—mainly because everything else that grows on our property is doing so well. Lots of catkins (those stringy green/brown droppings that are part of the pecan’s growth cycle) have fallen everywhere around us. After reading lots of material on the Internet, I’m still unsure whether a ton of dropped catkins means pecans will be abundant of a particular tree, but I’m counting on a great harvest this fall to replenish our supply.

The downside is that when those trees shed in the spring, my eyes almost itch themselves out of their sockets. (That's the “hate ’em” part.) Usually my allergy to pecan sheddings puts me out of my contacts for weeks on end. I just stumbled onto some great over-the-counter anti-itch drops that have made a huge difference in this regard, but sometimes the physical price (itchy, weepy eyes) seems pretty high to pay to have those divine nutmeats just outside every door to our home in the fall. No true Texan would ever think such thoughts, but I understand why Hubby (sympathizing with my misery) sometimes entertains the idea of chopping them all down and replacing them with other fruit-producing trees.

So the nuts contained within this recipe still had to be storebought (for now), but these Chocolate Pecan Waffles reminded me of how lucky we were to once have bag on top of bag full of shelled pecans in our freezer.

Chocolate Pecan Waffles, which I made during Hubby’s recent birthday celebration, are just about the best waffles you’ll ever put in your mouth. Hubby thought this was a sufficient gift for him and that he needn’t receive another thing to have the best birthday on record.

The recipe hails from an old PTA cookbook that my mother was given shortly after she married and moved to Garland in 1941. Her down-the-block neighbor, Mrs. Bradfield, originated the recipe. Mrs. Bradfield was a mentor to my mother after she arrived in a new city. Mrs. B also was a great friend to me and always bought anything I had to sell (magazine subscriptions, band candy, etc.) as a school fund-raiser. Later on, Hubby and I purchased the old Bradfield home and kept it as rental property until we sold it some years later. I knew that this dish that brought us such a treat once had been prepared in that very kitchen that was our own for a time.

Later on, Chocolate Pecan Waffles was one of the featured recipes in my Way Back in the Country Garden cookbook—a great way to honor a former neighbor and to share a dessert that we were nuts, er pecans, over.

Chocolate Pecan Waffles

1 cup butter, melted

2 squares semi-sweet chocolate

1/2 cup milk (I use skim)

2 eggs, beaten (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)

1 cup sugar (I use sugar substitute)

1 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup chopped (or broken) pecans

In medium pan melt butter and chocolate squares. Remove from burner and cool. Add milk and beaten eggs. Add sugar, flour, baking powder. Fold in pecans. Pour mixture onto prepared, hot waffle griddle. Makes 4 servings.

Little Thanksgiving in sandwich form—Turkey Burger Patty Melts

I have been using them oh-so-sparingly—my tiny horde of pecans—all that remains from the last big pecan production of our favorite tree. Who knew that the fall of two years ago would be the last time our prized pecan, a giant paper-shell producer up near our side door, would shower its blessings on us for a long while? 

This fall was supposed to be THE YEAR for a great pecan harvest again, but all that was foiled by this past summer’s drought. We're very dubious about what kind of pecan crop we’ll see this year. I’m down to only a few cupsful in my stash that I keep in my freezer. Only the most appealing project causes me to dig in. Actually I was saving the last tiny batch for Thanksgiving and Christmas baking—no more than for just a couple of pies.

Then arrived the Southern Living October 2011 issue—all about pecans. No fair! So many tempting things to try; so few pecans (and they’re SO expensive at the grocery store). What weakened my resolve occurred when I saw the recipe for Turkey Burger Patty Melts. 

I’ve already blogged about my yearning for all kinds of burgers. This featured recipe had some great combinations—ground turkey mixed with chopped, toasted pecans and Gorgonzola cheese plus seasonings. The bread (recipe called for sourdough, but I used some whole-grain sandwich bread I had on hand) was spread with a cranberry sauce-Dijon mustard combination. Over the warm meat patty went a slice of Monterey Jack cheese. Last went on pieces of fresh arugula (I used pieces of fresh spinach instead). The whole combination was skillet-toasted on both sides. 

So I gave in and yielded up the 3/4 cup chopped, treasured pecans required by the recipe. It was tough to part with them but so rewarding! Hubby called this creation “Thanksgiving in sandwich form”. So true—it had turkey, cranberry sauce, nuts, and even spinach—tastes that remind one of the Thanksgiving table. Preparation was a wee-bit time-consuming (first toast the pecans, then broil the meat, then toast the entire sandwich), but the good news was that the same skillet could be used for all three stages with no clean-up in between.

We had some good eatin’ out of these patty melts, but after this, the pecans go back under lock-and-key for sure. No more sacrifices until my annual holiday pecan pie!

Turkey Burger Patty Melts

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey

2/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

1 teaspoon garlic salt (or garlic powder)

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup canned whole berry cranberry sauce

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

12 sourdough bread slices (I used whole-grain bread)

6 (1/4-ounce) Monterey Jack cheese slices

3 cups loosely packed fresh arugula (I used fresh spinach)

Heat pecans in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Stir often. Heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until pecans are toasted and fragrant. In a large bowl combine ground turkey, next 3 ingredients, and pecans. Shape into 6 (1/2-inch thick) patties, shaped to fit bread slices. Cook patties in a large, lightly greased skillet over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until done. Stir together cranberry sauce and Dijon mustard. Spread 1 tablespoon cranberry mixture on 1 side of each bread slice. Layer 6 bread slices with Monterey Jack cheese, spinach, and turkey burgers. Top with remaining bread slices. With cranberry mixture side down, cook sandwiches in batches on hot griddle or in a lightly greased skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until sandwiches are golden brown and cheese melts. Makes 6 servings.