Orange Bourbon Butter and Spiced Pecans
From Black Eyed Susan's in Nantucket, Massachusetts

Try this topping on Sourdough bread French Toast.

Orange Bourbon Butter

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted sweet butter, softened
1 tablespoon bourbon (recommended: Jack Daniels)
2 tablespoons orange zest

Cream butter in a mixer. Add the bourbon and orange zest and mix well. Leave at room temperature and serve with the French toast and Spiced Pecans (recipe below). Refrigerate any leftovers.

Spiced Pecans

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon ground star anise
1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1 egg white, beaten until foamy

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix the sugar and spices and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix the pecan pieces with the egg white until well coated. Add the sugar and spice blend to the pecans and toss together until well coated. Turn the nut mixture out onto a nonstick cookie sheet and bake until nuts are golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool and then chop into small pieces.

Yield: 8 servings