Pecan Pie Bars feature a buttery shortbread crust and a gooey nut filling with a crunchy, crackly top for a portable, hand-held, pecan pie cookie treat!
6tablespoonscold unsalted buttercut into small pieces
For the Filling:
4tablespoonsunsalted buttermelted
½cuppacked brown sugar
⅓cuplight corn syrup
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
½teaspoonsalt
1egglightly beaten
2cupspecanstoasted and finely chopped
Instructions
Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Cut two pieces of parchment paper or foil to the width of the pan but long enough for overhang, approximately 9- by 16-inches. Place one sheet into the bottom of the pan, pressing it into the corners (the cooking spray should help it stick and stay in place). Lay the second sheet perpendicular to the first sheet, press down in the same manner, and then spray the sheets again with cooking spray.
For the crust:
In the bowl of a food processor, place the flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse cornmeal. Add cold butter cubes and pulse until mixture resembles sand. Evenly press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until light golden brown.
For the filling:
Prepare the filling while the crust is baking. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt, and egg until well incorporated. Stir in the pecans.
Pour the filling over the hot crust. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until the top is brown and starting to crack.
Place pan on a cooling rack for one hour before using foil or parchment paper "handles" to remove bars to a cutting board. Cut into small squares and serve.
Notes
To toast whole pecans, bake at 350°F for 7 to 10 minutes or until fragrant (check frequently towards the end!). If you ever toast chopped pecans, keep in mind that they will cook faster and require less time.
If you don't have a food processor to prepare the crust, you can cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or two knives. Alternatively, you can grate a hunk of frozen butter on the largest holes of a box grater before working it into the flour mixture.
If you like a boozy cookie, you may add 1 tablespoon bourbon or dark rum to the filling mixture.