Fare Exchange: Deadly Pecan Bars an all-time favorite treat

Good morning and welcome to May's final Fare Exchange. A former resident of Chattanooga, back for a visit, sampled local restaurants and groceries and left us a variety of questions. "How could I make at home a power salad similar to the one served at the Farmer's Daughter? And where locally can one find the best summer tomatoes -- and we need some Fleur de Sel salt to sprinkle on them, so where can we find it? And here are a couple of lime questions. I heard an excellent gin and tonic could be made with frozen limes, but I need instructions. Finally, can you buy frozen lime juice around here, or is it preferable to squeeze your own and keep it frozen?"

BEST COOKIE BARS

Mariannes Halbrooks has a compelling argument that she is sending us the best bar cookies ever, as per a recent request. She explained, "My family's all-time favorite follows. It was originally sent in many years ago by Sallie Beckes of Rising Fawn, Ga. These are so delicious they fairly scream out your name as you (try to) pass the plate."

Deadly Pecan Bars

1 package butter pecan cake mix

2 sticks butter, melted

3 large eggs

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (16-ounce) box confectioner's sugar

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

For the crust, mix butter pecan cake mix, 1 stick of melted butter and 1 lightly beaten large egg together. You can mix by hand; mixture will be thick. Press mixture into lightly oiled 15-by-9-inch baking pan. Set aside.

For the filling, mix the cream cheese, 2 eggs, confectioner's sugar, pecans and remaining stick of melted butter and pour the creamy pecan mixture into prepared cake crust in pan. Spread out evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

MAKING PRETZEL ROLLS

Our expert culinary pair, Mr. and Mrs. Sunday, here roll out a recipe for pretzel rolls. It turns out the process resembles that of bagels because the dough is prepared in a water bath. (The thoroughness of this process makes me appreciate the packages of pretzel rolls I purchased last week at Aldi.)

Pretzel Rolls

1 cup milk

1 1/4 -ounce package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon fine salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Cooking spray

1/2 cup baking soda

1/4 cup coarse sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Warm the milk in a small saucepan until a thermometer registers 110 degrees. Pour into a medium bowl; sprinkle with the yeast and let soften, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Combine the flour and fine salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the yeast mixture and butter and mix until the dough is slightly smooth and soft but still sticky, about 2 minutes.

Coat a large bowl with cooking spray; add the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Stretch into a 16-inch-long log, about 2 inches wide; cut into 8 even pieces. Roll and stretch each piece into a 6-inch-long rope, then wind into a coil; tuck the end underneath. Generously coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, then transfer the rolls to the sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature 15 minutes, then refrigerate until slightly puffed, about 2 hours.

Prepare the water bath by heating the oven to 400 degrees.

Fill a large pot or deep skillet with 3 inches of water. Add the baking soda and 1/4 cup coarse salt and bring to a boil. Add half of the rolls and cook until slightly puffed, about 1 minute, flipping halfway through with a slotted spoon. Recoat the baking sheet with cooking spray and return the rolls to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining rolls.

Brush the rolls lightly with the beaten egg, then sprinkle with coarse salt. Transfer to the oven and bake until the rolls are deep golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes on the pan, then remove the rolls to the rack to cool completely.

-- Adapted from Food Network

SUMMER CAKE

A suitable cake for saying goodbye to spring and hello to summer was part of the collection shared recently by Marcia Steele of Signal Mountain. It has triple citrus flavor.

Key Lime Cake

1 box Lemon Supreme cake mix

1 (3-ounce) box lime Jell-O

5 eggs

3/4 cup orange juice

1 1/3 cups oil

1/4 cup lime juice

6 tablespoons powdered sugar

Frosting (see recipe below)

Mix cake mix, Jell-O, eggs, orange juice and oil.

Spray 3 (9-inch) cake pans with Baker's Secret Spray. Bake in 350-degree over for 25 minutes.

Leave cake in pans and punch toothpick holes into each cake. Mix lime juice and powdered sugar and pour over all 3 pans. Wait an hour and then turn cakes onto serving dish. Frost with the following frosting.

Frosting

1 (1-pound) box confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 stick butter, softened

Beat well with electric mixer and then frost cake.

CAKE QUESTION

There was a query about the light and moist cakes to be purchased at the Trenton Farmer's Market. Thank you R.R.W. of Trenton for solving the mystery.

"The baker is Shannon VanDusen and you can find her at her blog bakefrostrepeat.com with lots of good recipes, or follow her on Pinterest as Bake.Frost.Repeat. The Trenton Farmer's Market is open from 9 to noon on Saturday. For directions, check their Facebook page."

Thank you, Mrs. W, for a sample of the strawberry cake and for the recommendation. Having tasted cakes you made, I trust your authority.

'Nuf said. But next week there will surely be more.