We found ourselves on the horns of a dilemma this weekend. A new round of allergy testing revealed that Zuzu might not be allergic to certain nuts after all. Her allergist recommended that we do a food challenge in his office to see if she could tolerate either walnuts or pecans. (You can only do one at a time for obvious reasons.) The problem? Zuzu recently had braces put on her teeth and top three on the orthodontist’s do-not-eat list is, you guessed it, nuts.

When presented with this obstacle, the allergist suggested that Zuzu could try easy-to-eat pecan butter at her food challenge in lieu of whole pecans. Problem solved! Now we just needed to find pecan butter.

Well, one can find pecan butter in stores, not as easily as one can find almond butter, cashew butter, hazelnut butter and so on. In fact, it may just be easier just to make pecan butter yourself at home. Pecans are quite soft, as nuts go, and easily break down into a smooth, spreadable butter after a few minutes in a Vitamix, other high-speed blender or even a food processor.

The best part of making pecan butter at home is that you know exactly what is in it — an important consideration when using it for a food challenge. In fact, this pecan butter contains nothing more than pecans, a little salt and a hint of cinnamon. That is all you need to make this absolutely delicious, rich, buttery spread that is heaven on toast or a slice of apple.

The only trick to this recipe, and it is barely a trick, is that you must toast the pecans first to bring out their flavor. I prefer to toast nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat while stirring to keep a close eye on them. Nuts will burn in a heartbeat and they are an expensive ingredient to waste. You can also toast nuts in the oven, but I prefer the stovetop.

So, there is now a jar of homemade pecan butter sitting in my refrigerator and one morning this week, Zuzu and I will take it with us to the allergist’s office to see if she can eat it without having a reaction. It’s going to be interesting watching her eat a nut for the first time in her life. Wouldn’t it be something if my girl was able to try butter pecan ice cream or have a slice of pecan pie this Thanksgiving?

Assuming that you do not have a nut allergy in your family, I hope that you try making this pecan butter at home. It is a delicious change from peanut butter and extremely nutritious. Pecans are high in mono-unsaturated fatty acids, phytochemicals and an excellent source of protein and vitamin E. Remember to store pecans, like all nuts, in the freezer to prevent them from going rancid.

Wish us luck at the allergist!

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Homemade Pecan Butter

Ingredients

• 16 oz. pecans
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat until hot.
2. Add pecans and toast, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until fragrant and slightly browned, about five minutes
3. Transfer pecans to a bowl and allow to cool.
4. Place cooled pecans in a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix. Process on high, using the tamper to push the nuts into the blade, until broken down and smooth, about one minute. (This can also be done in a food processor, although it may take longer.)
5. Add the salt and cinnamon and process until combined.
6. Transfer to a clean pint jar and store in the refrigerator.

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