Waldorf Salad

I was asked to bring a Waldorf Salad to Thanksgiving dinner. I told Darrin's aunt that I've never made one but I was sure that I could find a recipe andwhip something up. Then I hit the Internet and learned that there are about a million different ways to make a Waldorf Salad. Drats. So after literally days of scouring different recipes, I finally settled on this one. I am proud to say it was a HIT! I had some leftover, so I brought it over to my parents on Friday and they all loved it too! WOOHOO! This is definitely a keeper! I did change a couple things -- I didn't do the cherries, I instead threw in golden raisins (without re-hydrating them). And then I mixed in regular candied walnuts instead of the sweet and spicy candied Pecans. TIPS-- Make this the night before so that the flavors will merry and the dressing will thicken. It tastes great the next day! Also, squeeze the juice of a lemon (or so) into a bowl, then when you cut up the apples, toss the pieces in the lemon juice. This will help the apples to stay green and not brown.

Waldorf Salad from Bon Appétit Magazine (Sept 1999)

2/3 cup dried tart cherries*
1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
4 Granny Smith apples, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/3 cups very thinly sliced celery
1 1/3 cups red seedless grapes, halved
Sweet and Spicy Candied Pecans (recipe below)


Directions:
Soak cherries in 1 cup boiling water until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Whisk mayonnaise and next 3 ingredients in large bowl. Add apples, celery, grapes and cherries; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Top salad with candied pecans.
**You can also arrange lettuce leaves on a platter and serve with the salad.



Sweet and Spicy Candied Pecans
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
3 tablespoons light corn syrup (you can also use honey instead of corn syrup)
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon (generous) freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups pecan pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325;°F. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. Combine corn syrup and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. Stir to blend. Add pecans; stir gently to coat. Transfer to baking sheet.

Place large piece of foil on work surface. Bake pecans 5 minutes. Using fork, stir pecans to coat with melted spice mixture. Continue baking until pecans are golden and coating bubbles, about 10 minutes. Transfer to foil. Working quickly, separate nuts with fork. Cool. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)