Pecan Twists with Lemon Glaze, aka “Dessert Kabobs”

Food dreams are strange. When I have a food dream, I feel like I just made the food and I know what it tastes like. The problem is, when I get to my kitchen in real life and try to figure it out, it doesn’t always work. These twists started as a dream. First, I tried to make them using a yeast dough (it grew too much). Then, I tried a denser cookie dough (too cakey). Then, I tried a dough that used Rich’s Whip (raw in the middle). I knew I didn’t want a flaky dough. After that third try, everyone who heard about my struggles told me to give it up and just make a mousse or something.
Finally, by the fourth try, this dessert was just as I tasted in my dream. Crispy, yet soft, not too cakey. As they say, dreams do come true.
You don’t have to bother taking out your mixer. The dough comes together in two minutes when kneading quickly by hand. If you don’t have any apple juice on hand, you can use half orange juice and half water (the orange juice alone will be too tangy in the batter).

Dough:
2 cups flour, plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon dry yeast
1 egg
2 tablespoon sugar
½ cup (1 stick) margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
¼ cup apple juice

Pecan Filling:
1¼ cup honey glazed pecans (or Chinese pecans)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons oil

Equipment:
14 wooden skewers

1. Prepare the dough. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients by hand. Knead until a soft dough forms. Cover and let rise 15 to 20 minutes.
2. In a food processor, coarsely grind the nuts with the sugar.
3. Preheat the oven to 350⁰F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Sprinkle flour on your rolling surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 10-x 14-inch rectangle. Cover surface of dough with oil. Spread pecan filling over oiled dough.
5. Cut 14 (1-inch-wide) long strips. Fold each strip ⅓ up and ⅓ down so that the dough is now a triple layer. Take the strip and twist. Wiggle the sharp edge of the skewer into the dough.
6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Serve 1 or 2 skewers alongside a scoop of ice cream. Drizzle warm Lemon Glaze on top of skewers and ice cream right before serving. Skewers can be frozen and warmed before serving.

Yield: 14 skewers

Lemon Glaze
1 (8-ounce) container non-dairy whipped topping
1 cup sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Let cook for 1 to 2 minutes until sugar is dissolved and sauce is clear. Can be made in advance or frozen. Warm before serving.

Have Extra Nuts?
Make an Ice Cream Topping

In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup corn syrup, pinch of salt, and 2 tablespoons water. Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until mixture is golden brown. Stir in ½ cup chopped nuts. Spread mixture over lined baking sheet. When cooled, chop brittle in food processor and serve on top of ice cream.

For more great recipes, check out this weeks issue of Whisk by Ami