by Jennifer Kosnick Hart | Mar 10, 2023 | Pecan Food Fantasy Contest |

Best of Show, Outstanding Adult, and 1st Place in Adult Tarts by:
Amy Salopek
DULCE DE LECHE MOUSSE IN PECAN NESTS
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Preheat Oven: 350o F
Total Cook Time: 45 minutes
Chill Time: 1-2 hours
Total Time: 2-3 hours (with chill time)
Number of Recipe Servings or Yield: 8 tarts
INGREDIENTS
CANDIED PECANS FOR TOPPING:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans
PECAN NESTS:
• 1 1/3 cups pecans
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
MOUSSE:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup dulce de leche (jarred or homemade)
• 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
• 1 tablespoon hot water
DIRECTIONS
• Step 1: Toast the 1 1/3 cups pecans for the nests on a cookie sheet in a 350o oven until fragrant, approximately 12-14 minutes, stirring once or twice to prevent burning. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
• Step 2: Make candied pecans for topping: Place 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon heavy cream in a small saucepan and heat on low until butter melts. Sprinkle 1/3 cup sugar on top (don’t stir yet) and continue heating on low until sugar dissolves and mixture starts to bubble. Add ½ cup pecans, stir, and bring to boil over medium heat. Boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture resembles caramel. Dump out onto parchment paper to cool. When cooled, chop into small pieces. Set aside.
• Step 3: Place the now cooled oven-toasted 1 1/3 cups pecans in the bowl of a food processor with the ¾ cup powdered sugar. Pulse to grind the nuts into a fine meal (approximately 50 pulses). Set aside.
• Step 4: Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer along with 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Whip on medium high, scraping sides of bowl occasionally with spatula, until stiff glossy peaks form, 7-8 minutes. Using a spatula, fold in the ground nut/powdered sugar mixture, mixing just until well blended. Scoop into a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch star tip. Pipe 8 nests onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (tip: draw 8 evenly spaced 3-inch circles on a rectangle of parchment paper, then flip and place on baking sheet): start at the center of each circle and pipe in a circular motion to form a 3-inch circle. Pipe a second layer on top of the outside circumference layer of the nest base to form a “lip” (think inverted jar lid). Leave out on countertop to rest for 15 minutes while you heat the oven to 375o. Place nests in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 325o. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned on the edges. Remove from oven and cool completely.
• Step 5: Make the mousse: Add 1 tablespoon of hot water to a small mixing bowl and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon gelatin powder. Stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Set aside. Whip 1 cup heavy cream with mixer until soft peaks form. Start slowly drizzling the gelatin water into the whipped cream and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in ½ cup of dulce de leche with a spatula until well blended and no streaks of caramel remain. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe generous dollops of mousse into cooled nests. Sprinkle tops with the chopped candied pecans. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Refrigerated in a covered container, they will keep well for a day or two.
Note: Pecan decorations were made by sandwiching two toasted pecan halves together with dulce de leche, and then wrapping it in homemade marshmallow fondant. This was then pressed into a DIY pecan mold made from gelatin and glycerin. Not only are they cute, they taste good, too! Leaves were made from the same marshmallow fondant.
by Jennifer Kosnick Hart | Mar 9, 2022 | Pecan Food Fantasy Contest |
Quick Bread
1st place Adult- Quick Breads- Apple Pecan Streusel Bread- Elena Tirre
2nd place Adult- Quick Breads Maple Pecan Pie Muffins- Julia Scheiderich
3rd place Adult- Quick Breads Banana Bread- Renee Pokorny
3rd place Adult- Quick Breads- Pecans in Paradise Bread- Tony Poe
1st place Youth- Quick Breads- Butter Pecan Bread with butter pecan glaze- Silverio Burgos
2nd place Youth Quick Breads- Zucchini Pecan Bread- Jax Evaro & Dusti Weber
Yeast Bread
Best of Show & 1st place Youth Yeast Breads Dutch Oven Jalapeno Cheddar Pecan Bread-
Jenna Schoeppner
1st place Adult Yeast Breads- Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns- Cathi Buchman
2nd place Adult- Yeast Breads Pumpkin Pecan Cinnamon Rolls- Shirley Gonzales
3rd place Adult Yeast Breads- Pecan Pie Babka
3rd place Adult Yeast Breads- Pecan Pie Babka- Valeria Bejarano
Cakes
1st place Adult- Un-Iced Cake Pecan Butter Rum Cake- Elena Tirre
2nd place Adult- Un-Iced Cake Pecan Crumb Cake- Debora Juarez
3rd place Adult Un-Iced Cake George’s Pecan Fruit Brandy Cake- George Jarden
3rd place Adult Un-Iced Cakes Chocolate Kahlua Cake w/ Pecan Topping- Bernadette Acosta
2nd place Youth- Un-Iced Cakes Pecan roll with ginger and pumpkin-
Kimber Lockridge & Beverly Lockridge
1st place Adult Iced Cakes- Hummingbird Cake
2nd place Adult- Iced Cakes- Pecan Zucchini Cake- Judy Johnson
Outstanding Youth & 1st place- Youth Iced Cakes Chocolate Turtle Cake- Jenna Schoeppner
2nd place Youth- Iced Cakes Sour Cream Coffee Cake- Austin Roberson
3rd place Youth- Iced Cakes Pecan Cake w/ Salted Caramel Frosting – Rae Millette
1st place Adult Decorated Cupcakes- Pecan Pie Cupcakes Sofia Roybal
1st place Youth Decorated Cupcakes- Chocolate Coconut Pecan Cupcakes- Brynlee Kane
2nd place Youth Decorated Cupcakes- Pumpkin Spice Pecan Cupcakes- Joelle Gallegos
3rd place Youth Decorated Cupcakes- Butter Pecan Cupcakes- Lacey Knight
Candy
1st place Adult Candy Five Minute Chocolate Fudge- Amy Zemler
2nd place Adult Candy Pecan Pie Truffles- Sofia Roybal
3rd place Adult Candy- White Chocolate Pecans- Samantha Carrasco
1st place Youth- Candy Pecan Brownie Bombs- Hope Rices
2nd place Youth- Candy Pecan Brittle- Kimber Lockridge & Beverly Lockridge
3rd place Youth Candy Pecan Brittle- Maria Roybal
Cookies
2nd place Adult Drop Cookies- George’s Vegan Double- Pecan Fruit Brandy Drop Cookies- George Jarden
2nd place Youth Drop Cookies- Pecan Butter Cookies- Brynlee Kane
3rd place Youth Drop Cookies- Butter Pecan Cookies- Jewel Rivera
3rd place Youth Drop Cookies- Butter Pecan Sugar Cookies- Clint Van Dommelen
1st place Adult- Bar Cookies Streusel topped pecan blondies- Joy Lightfoot
2nd place Adult- Bar Cookies George’s Vegan Double-Pecan Fruit Brandy Pastry Bars-
George Jarden
1st place Youth- Bar Cookies Pecan Bars- Ian Zepeda and Anthony Gonzales
2nd place Youth Bar Cookies Pecan Shortbread Squares- Veronica Vargas & Angel Hernandez
3rd place Youth Bar Cookies Pecan Pie Bars- Ruth Meyers
1st place Adult- Other Cookies- Turtle Thumbprint Cookies- Shirley Gonzales
2nd place Adult- Other Cookies Pecan Pizelles- Celeste Gamache
3rd place Adult- Other Cookies Eddie Flores
3rd place Adult- Other Cookies- Pecan Pie Cookies Elena Tirre
3rd place Adult Other Cookies- Pumpkin Pecan Snickerdoodles-
Kimber Lockridge & Beverly Lockridge
1st place Youth Other Cookies- Maple Pecan Shortbread Esther Heerema
2nd place Youth Other Cookies- Cinnamon Pecan Biscotti- Mikayla Dees
Pies
1st place Youth- Cheesecake- Mini Crème Brulee Pecan Cheesecakes-
Daniel Martinez & Mia Maldonado
2nd place Youth Cheesecake- Caramel Pecan Cheesecake- Michelle Cardenas
2nd place Youth Cheesecake- Greyson’s Miniature Pecan Caramel Cheesecakes-
Greyson Baldillez
2nd place Youth Other Pies- Apple Pecan Pie Kimber Lockridge & Beverly Lockridge
3rd place Youth Other Pies- Pecan Joy Pie- Greyson Baldillez
1st place Youth Traditional Pecan Pie- Aubree Kane and Brynlee Kane
1st place Adult Traditional Pecan Pie- Mama Lane’s Pecan Pie- Alma Ulrich
2nd place Adult- Traditional Pecan Pies- Pecan Pie- Valerie Bejarano
3rd place Adult Traditional Pecan Pie- Isaac Kolosseus
2nd place Adult Tart- Pecan and Black Sesame Mooncakes- Carolyn Archer
3rd place Adult Tart- Pecan Tarts- Joy Lightfoot
Unusual Desserts
Outstanding Adult & 1st place- Adult Unusual Desserts- Pecan Paris Brest with Pecan butter Mousseline- Elena Tirre
2nd place Adult Unusual Desserts- Toasted Pecan Cream Mousse- Debora Juarez
3rd place Adult Unusual Desserts- George’s Vegan Double- Pecan Fruit Brandy Luncheon Dessert Mountains with strawberry Cream
1st place Youth- Unusual Desserts Pecan Tamales- Jessica Perez
2nd place Youth Unusual Desserts Butter Pecan Ice Cream- Vivana Rauch
3rd place Youth Unusual Desserts Pecan Jelly- Abigail Gracia Serrano & Dana Gonzalez
Savory
1st place Adult Savory- Smoked Pecan rubbed New Mexico Red Chile infused Beef Jerky-
Renee Pokorny
Gluten Free
1st place Adult- Gluten Free- Gluten Free Carrot Cake- Elena Tirre
2nd place Adult- Gluten Free- Gluten Free Key Lime Pie- Celinda Hernandez
3rd place Youth- Gluten Free Onnie’s White Cookies (Hard Meringues)- Aubree Kane