pecan pie bars
Mmmmmm. Pecan pie bars. A portable pecan pie with a luscious shortbread crust, gussied up with chocolate chunks and a hint of espresso.
To me, pecans bring to mind Eli’s grandfather’s family homestead. Their family came from Ireland and settled together on acres of land in rural Georgia. His grandfather lives in the house that once belonged to his great-grandparents. The iconic Southern front porch is lined with rocking chairs and overlooks a grove of ancient pecan trees. Every Thanksgiving E comes home with a bounty of its fruits.
I remember the first time he brought home a paper grocery sack brimming with pecans and set it on the porch to retrieve the next morning. Our resident squirrels remember it as a magical night those humans set out a nut buffet on the front porch. All they left was a trail of shells leading down the front steps, those dang thieving squirrels!
Last year the stars aligned and I got a night off to head down to the farm for the annual spring fish fry. Perhaps those finicky stars will align this year and I’ll be able to haul my awkward self down to the annual post-Thankgiving reunion for the first time since I started dating Eli, six (!) years ago.
If you follow this path around the pond in a golf cart at high speed, you’ll have the ride of your life! It’s the perfect storm of bumpy path combined with the risk of flipping into a briar patch on one side and rolling on down into a body of water on the other. Better than Space Mountain! (I’m sure my sister would agree :D )
Such a wonderful place.
the recipe
Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
- 3/4 cup 90 g flour, for the crust
- 2 tablespoons 25 g sugar, for the crust
- 1/8 teaspoon 0.75 g salt, for the crust
- 6 tablespoons 85 g butter, melted, for the crust
- 1/2 teaspoon 2.5 mL vanilla, for the crust; optional
- 2 large 100 g eggs, for the filling
- 1/2 cup 170 g corn syrup, for the filling
- 1/2 cup 100 g sugar, for the filling
- 2 tablespoons 28 g butter, melted, for the filling
- 1 teaspoon 5 mL vanilla, for the filling
- 1/2 teaspoon 2.5 mL espresso powder, for the filling
- 1 cup 170 g chocolate chips, for the filling
- 1 cup 120 g chopped pecans, for the filling
- To make the crust, mix together all ingredients with your hands until incorporated and butter is absorbed into flour. Press into a greased 8x8-inch (20 cm) pan.
- Bake 12-15 minutes until light golden brown. Set aside to cool slightly.
- For the filling, whisk together eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter, vanilla, and espresso powder until smooth.
- Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.
- Pour filling over crust.
- Bake 25-30 minutes, until set.
- Cool, then store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Will keep at room temperature for at least a day.
each column is one step, working left to right — hover a cell for the full instruction
- 3/4 cup 90 g flour, for the crust
- 2 tablespoons 25 g sugar, for the crust
- 1/8 teaspoon 0.75 g salt, for the crust
- 6 tablespoons 85 g butter, melted, for the crust
- 1/2 teaspoon 2.5 mL vanilla, for the crust; optional
- 2 large 100 g eggs, for the filling
- 1/2 cup 170 g corn syrup, for the filling
- 1/2 cup 100 g sugar, for the filling
- 2 tablespoons 28 g butter, melted, for the filling
- 1 teaspoon 5 mL vanilla, for the filling
- 1/2 teaspoon 2.5 mL espresso powder, for the filling
- 1 cup 170 g chocolate chips, for the filling
- 1 cup 120 g chopped pecans, for the filling
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
To make the crust, mix together all ingredients with your hands until incorporated and butter is absorbed into flour. Press into a greased 8x8-inch (20 cm) pan.
Bake 12-15 minutes until light golden brown. Set aside to cool slightly.
For the filling, whisk together eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter, vanilla, and espresso powder until smooth.
Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.
Pour filling over crust.
Bake 25-30 minutes, until set.
Cool, then store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Will keep at room temperature for at least a day.
— adapted from brown eyed baker