pecan pie bites

Oh, pecan pie. My favorite part of Thanksgiving. Or, wait. Maybe that's the stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green beans all in one bite. Or Aunt Sandy's fresh coconut cake. Or the cranberry relish, so tart and jewel-red. Or maybe it's the apple pie. 

At the end of the day, though, nothing beats my Mom's pecan pie. Daniel craves it all year round, and although I've gussied up her recipe with homemade butter crust, chocolate, bourbon, maple syrup, Lyle's Golden Syrup in place of the corn syrup, you name it--there's still nothing like her classic recipe, straight off the back of the Karo bottle.

But, pecan pie is a guilty pleasure, so loaded with teeth-clenching sugar and corn syrup, and a vat of butter to boot, that I wanted to whip up something a little kinder to the body. Something that gets me in the mood for Thanksgiving without giving me the bloatation-device feeling that comes with it.

Here's what I came up with, and the whole family agrees: they're delicious!

Pecan Pie Bites

makes ~12-16 bites

1½ cups pecans

1 cup pitted dates (if very hard, soak in water, then drain)
1½ tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. fine sea salt
unsweetened, grated coconut (optional)

Toast the pecans. Do not skip this step! Preheat oven to 375. Place pecans on baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 4-7 minutes, depending on the size of the nuts. Be sure to watch them, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned and very fragrant. Make sure they don't burn. Set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, pit the dates and measure them out. Place the dates, vanilla, and salt in a food processor. Once the pecans have cooled for about 5 minutes, add about ¾ of the nuts and pulse, just until the mixture starts to come together in cookie-like dough. You want the nuts to keep some texture here, so don't overdo it. Add the remaining pecans and pulse a few more times to incorporate, keeping some nice bigger pieces of pecans intact.

If you can squeeze the dough into small balls, it's ready. Otherwise, pulse a few more times.

Shape into small balls. Roll in coconut, if desired. (I love coconut but I'm a pecan pie purist and I don't like coconut in these.) Serve immediately, or store in refrigerator or freezer. Enjoy!