Grandpappy's Basic Recipes
A Collection of
Hickory Nut Recipes
Copyright © 1976,2004 by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.
All Rights Reserved.
Hickory Nuts (Same Tree Family as Pecans)
Hickory trees grow wild in many areas and they can live for 300 to 500 years. The male and female flowers grow on the same tree. Some hickory nuts are very hard to crack and others are not. Some hickory nuts are delicious but some hickory nuts are bitter and they are only eaten by wildlife, such as squirrels. Sweet tasting hickory nuts may be substituted in almost any recipe in place of pecans or walnuts.
Mother Marsh's Hickory Nut Cake
From "Merry Christmas Cakes," by Marilyn Kluger,
The Courier-Journal, 11/17/1993, Louisville, KY, Pp. E1, E4
This cake was sent to Margaret Mitchell (Gone With the Wind)
every Christmas since 1936 by her Mother-in-Law
| 1/2 lb. butter | 1 tbsp. baking powder | 1.5 lbs. seedless raisins |
| 2 cups sugar | 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon | 1 lb. currants |
| 4 cups flour | 2.5 tsp. ground nutmeg | 1/2 cup milk |
| 6 eggs | 2 cups hickory nut kernels | Optional: 1/2 cup Kentucky Bourbon |
Preparation: Grease and flour one large bundt cake pan or two large loaf pans (10"x5"x3") and line with wax paper. Preheat oven to 300ºF. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and continue beating until well blended. Stir in the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon. (Reserve a small amount of flour mixture to toss with nuts and fruits before adding them to the batter.) Add the flour mixture and milk alternately to the creamed mixture, in about 3 additions. Then gently stir in the floured fruits and nuts. Scrape batter into prepared pans.
Cook: Bake at 300ºF for 3.5 hours if using the bundt pan, or 2 to 2.5 hours in the two loaf pans. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake to verify doneness (it should be dry when removed). Cook cake on a wire rack. Wrap cake in aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator.
Optional: If desired, wrap cake in a cheesecloth that has been soaked in bourbon. This option was added by Mother Marsh's brother, Bob, one Christmas when he baked the cakes instead of Mother Marsh, his sister.
Hickory Nut Pie
| 1 cup chopped hickory nuts | 3 eggs, slightly beaten | 2 tbsp. soft butter |
| 1 cup white Karo corn syrup | 3/4 cup granulated sugar | 1 tsp. vanilla extract |
You will also need One unbaked pie shell.
Preparation: Mix the eggs, sugar, syrup, vanilla, and butter. Then add the nuts. Pour into a pie shell.
Cook: Bake at 400ºF for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to 350ºF and bake for another 40 minutes.
Variation: Substitute 1 cup of dark brown sugar for white sugar and increase butter to 6 tbsp. Bake at 350ºF for 40-45 minutes.
Nutritional Information About Hickory Nuts
Hickory Nuts, Shelled, Meat Only
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 ounce (28.4 g) or 9 Nuts
| Category | Amount
| % RDV |
| Calories | 187.7 | 9 % |
| Total Fat | 18.2 g | 29 % |
| Monounsaturated | 9.32 g | |
| Polyunsaturated | 6.25 g | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 5.2 g | 2 % |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.8 g | 8 % |
| Protein | 3.6 g | 8 % |
Vitamins
| Vitamin A | 37.43 IU | Less 1% |
| B1, Thiamin | 0.25 mg | 17 % |
| B2, Riboflavin | 0.04 mg | 3 % |
| B3, Niacin | 0.26 mg | 3 % |
| B5, Pantothenic Acid | 0.49 mg | 5 % |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.05 mg | 2 % |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 mcg | 0 % |
| Vitamin C | 0.57 mcg | 1 % |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0 % |
| Vitamin E | 0 mcg | 0 % |
Minerals
| Calcium, Ca | 17.3 mg | 2 % |
| Copper, Cu | 0.2 mg | 11 % |
| Iron, Fe | 0.6 mg | 3 % |
| Magnesium, Mg | 48.9 mg | 13 % |
| Manganese, Mn | 1.3 mg | 35 % |
| Phosphorus, P | 95.1 mg | 10 % |
| Potassium, K | 123.4 mg | 6 % |
| Selenium, Se | 2.3 mg | 4 % |
| Sodium, Na | 0.3 mg | Less 1% |
| Zinc, Zn | 1.2 mg | 11 % |
Amino Acids
| Alanine | 0.189 g |
| Arginine | 0.596 g |
| Cystine | 0.077 g |
| Glutamic Acid | 0.824 g |
| Glycine | 0.202 g |
| Histidine | 0.111 g |
| Isoleucine | 0.165 g |
| Leucine | 0.293 g |
| Lysine | 0.142 g |
| Methionine | 0.086 g |
| Phenylalanine | 0.204 g |
| Proline | 0.163 g |
| Serine | 0.230 g |
| Tryptophan | 0.040 g |
| Threonine | 0.121 g |
| Tyrosine | 0.130 g |
| Valine | 0.209 g |
Other
| Ash | 0.57 g |
| Folate, DFE | 11.43 mcg |
Grandpappy's e-mail address is: RobertWayneAtkins@hotmail.com