If you have never had chew bread you are in for a treat with this Pecan Chew Bread. I don’t know why they call this chew bread. I was just looking for recipes because we have had some at McCall’s Buffet. If you are in Eastern North Carolina and have an opportunity to go to Goldsboro, you need to check out this restaurant. They serve up some of the best home cookin’ dishes you will ever eat–at least as far as Southern cooking goes. And their Banana Pudding? Oh my goodness. Go hungry and be prepared to eat yourself into oblivion.
Anyway, I was so glad to find this recipe and I made it yesterday for a family dinner dessert. There is one little square left, maybe. I haven’t checked to see if anyone ate that last one at lunch today. If they haven’t, I will.
As I mentioned, I don’t know why it’s called chew bread, and I haven’t been able to find an actual definition. If you have any ideas, or have found it in a book of Southern cuisine, let me know. I do know that it’s chewy, and honestly, that might be exactly why they call it chew bread. Sometimes you just name a food for obvious reasons.
This is good served warm out of the oven–my son-in-law’s preferred way–or just let them sit and let those flavors combine and they are just as good, if not better!
By the way, every recipe that I checked out had the same exact ingredients, so I am guessing no particular source needs to be cited. And even though all the recipes were the same, some turned out a lighter color. As a matter of fact, most of them did and that is how I first experienced chew bread. Mine turned out a little more brown, but tasted the same. Go figure. But now that I think about it, I mixed mine by hand and some of the others used a mixer. Hmmm…I should try that next time.
Now, don’t get these confused with Dungeon Bars, because they might look similar, but they are different treats altogether!
And Happy National Nut Day!
Pecan Chew Bread
- October 22, 2020
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Ingredients
- 2 cups pecans, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Step 1
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
- Step 2
- In a large bowl, stir together sugars, eggs and oil until fully combined.
- Step 3
- Stir in flour and salt, then mix in vanilla, and fold in pecans.
- Step 4
- Pour batter into the greased dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean.
- Step 5
- Remove dish from oven and let cool about 15 minutes before serving.
