Pecan Pie Martini (and Easy Maple Roasted Pecans)

Recently, the nice folks at Pinnacle Vodka sent me a new flavor to test.  Brian and I already have quite a nice flavor collection but this is one that wasn't in our arsenal yet.  That's pretty amazing, actually, since we have trouble passing a liquor store without wanting to browse and those sweet blue bottles always seem to call to us.  We'll see a flavor we haven't tried before and we both look at each other and can almost see our cocktail making wheels spinning.  Otherwise, we're normal people.  Really.

So, pecan pie sounded pretty easy to work with but it actually took a few tries to get a flavor balance we liked.  We wanted to give it a "pie" taste without getting overly sweet and this, we think, is just right.  Cheers!

Per Serving:
1 1/2 oz. Pinnacle Pecan Pie Vodka
1 1/2 oz. Half & half
1/2 oz. Almond liqueur
2 Teaspoons maple syrup
Tiny pinch of cinnamon
Tiny pinch (4-5 flakes) of sea salt
Maple syrup and crushed pecans for garnish

Place 4 or 5 pecans in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin or a can of something and pour them into a shallow dish.  In a separate dish, pour a bit of maple syrup and run the rim of a cocktail glass through it.  Dip the rim in the pecan pieces and refrigerate while you assemble the cocktail.  Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and fill with ice.  Shake well and pour into the prepared glass.

Since we'd bought a bag of pecans to go with this drink, I decided to make a complimentary cocktail snack.  Instead of a traditional sugared nut, I used the maple flavor from the drink.  It's a quick method and results in a light flavor, not like the heavily sugared nuts you buy in the street.  This one is perfect for snacking but also a great addition to salads.  That is, if you can avoid eating all of them right from the roasting pan.  It was hard.

Ingredients
1 Cup plain pecans
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
Pinch of sea salt

Combine the butter and maple syrup in a bowl, add the pecans and toss to coat.  Spread them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with sea salt and roast in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.


Note:  Pinnacle sent me the bottle of pecan pie flavor but I was not otherwise compensated and under no obligation to use it.