Sugared Pecans

Let's start with an old standby, shall we? Well, old might be an overstatement - we found this recipe for Sugared Pecans (Southern Living, Dec 2007) while preparing for last year's Christmas party and were blown away by how easy and tasty they were. An added bonus is that you'll have most of these items on-hand already. (And if you're like us, you'll probably already have the pecans, too!)

This recipe is such a cinch to put together - simply whisk together the egg white and sugars, then fold in the pecans. Spread the coated pecans out on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and into the oven they go for about 20 minutes. You'll want to check on them once or twice and stir them around, to make certain that the pecans bake evenly and don't begin to burn. They'll need to cool for 30 minutes prior to storage.

According to the recipe, these can be stored in plasticware for 3 days before serving. (Bonus: Make double or triple batches and freeze some for later!) Good luck keeping them around for 3 days, though - Mr. Yuppie just can't keep his mitts off of them, and they're usually polished off by holiday guests within an hour of their arrival!

For an inexhaustible list of reasons, these pecans are most definitely on the short list of YTK Favorites. Try them this holiday week and let us know what you think in the comments!