Classic Southern Appetizer Board

Ingredients

Spiced Pecans

• 1 large egg white
• 1 tablespoon water
• 6 tablespoons superfine sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground clove
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• pinch of ground cinnamon
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 4 cups  pecan halves (about 1 pound)

Lady & Larder’s Deviled Eggs

• 6 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 pinch of Kosher salt
• Hot sauce & ground pepper for serving

Pimiento Cheese Dip

• 8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, crumbled
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons drained jarred chopped pimientos
• ⅛ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons  sweet pickle relish
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard

Appetizer Board

• ½ cup cornichons
• ¼ cup grainy mustard
• 1 ½ cups Pimiento Cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) log chèvre
• 2 tablespoons pepper jelly
• 3 cups Spiced Pecans
• 1 recipe Lady & Larder’s Deviled Eggs
• 8 ounces thinly sliced smoked ham
• 1 medium peach (or other summer stone fruit), sliced
• 1 cup cherries
• 24 buttery crackers or pretzels

Directions

1. To Prepare Spiced Pecans: Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk egg white, water, sugar, salt, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and cayenne in a large bowl. Add pecans and stir to coat evenly. Spread in a single layer on the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan from back to front and continue baking until the nuts are crispy and dry to the touch, about 30 minutes more. Let cool completely on the pan, about 20 minutes. Break apart before serving.
4. To Prepare Lady & Larder’s Deviled Eggs: Place eggs in a single layer in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a bare simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Immediately transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice-cold water and let stand until cool enough to handle.
5. Peel the eggs and halve lengthwise with a sharp knife. Gently remove the yolks and place in a medium bowl. Add mayonnaise, celery, pickle relish, chives, yellow and Dijon mustards and salt to the yolks. Mash with a fork until chunky.
6. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the filling into each egg white half. Drizzle with hot sauce and pepper, if desired.
7. To prepare Pimento Cheese Dip: Combine Cheddar, mayonnaise, cream cheese, pimientos, Aleppo and ground pepper in a food processor. Pulse, scraping down the sides as necessary, until smooth, about 45 seconds.
8. To assemble board: Place cornichons, mustard and cheese dip in separate small bowls. Place chèvre on a plate and top with pepper jelly. Arrange the bowls and plate on a large board, platter or tray along with pecans, deviled eggs, ham, peach (or other fruit) slices, cherries and crackers (or pretzels).