I have to admit, both Kevin and I are terrible at thinking up appetizers to bring to a party that isn’t just cheese, fruit, and crackers.  Should it be hot or should it be cold; should we bring homemade dip with chips or something something fancy?  Is there a theme and does whatever we look at match that theme?  This was a summer swim party in Dover, FL so we decided to bring the down-home to the party; I was hesitant at about the pecans because I was unsure how the end result would taste, but I fret for naught, this went over really well!!  We ended up cooking this a little longer since it would not cook down by half on our stove in the time cited, in the second batch we cooked the liquid lower/longer so that when the pecans were cooked in the syrup, the nuts would keep a crisper texture.

Ingredients

•   1 Cup Dr. Pepper
•   1 Cup Pecan Halves
•   1 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
•   salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
2. In a small saucepan, bring the Dr. Pepper and butter to a boil over medium high heat.  Simmer until the liquid reduces by half, roughly 15-25 minutes.
3. Stir in the pecans and continue to cook until the liquid becomes a sticky glaze, 3-4 minutes.  Add a big pinch of salt, stir and transfer to the nuts to the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake, stirring once or twice, until toasted, about 10 minutes.