Thanksgiving is around the corner and I always bake, among many other things, my “famous” pecan pie. My mother-in-law LOVES pecan pie and Thanksgiving, generally, falls on or around her birthday. Pecan pie usually adorns our dessert table – with a candle in it while nine adoring grandchildren, sing happy birthday to their “nana”!
I have been making this recipe for about 20 years and it just gets better with age. Originally, I followed the recipe, exactly. Then, as the years went on, I realized that I didn’t like the crust and worked really hard to find the right balance between the dry ingredients, the fats, and the wet ingredients. I now have one basic pie crust that I use pretty much for all pies and tarts. And the filling evolved as well. I now make it more like a tart rather than a pie. Makes eating a small slice much more friendly.
I wanted to experiment a little this year and had an idea to make bite sized pecan bars. I reinvented the filling for my pecan pie and made these in a 13″ x 9″ pan. These bars have a shortbread crust and I replaced the white sugar with sucanat
I loved these bars. I am going to make them one more time before Thanksgiving and make them in mini muffin tins. They will be more like a “tassie” rather than a bar. I think I am going to wrap these up, in little individual boxes and give to all the kids teachers as a little pre-Thanksgiving treat!
Pecan “Pie” Bars
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sucanat (or white sugar)
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 cup organic butter, cut into cubes
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup butter, cut into cubes
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 3/4 cups pecans, toasted and chopped
1/4 tsp. table salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
for the shortbread:
• preheat oven to 350*
• butter a 13″ x 9″ metal pan. line with parchment and butter the parchment.
• combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your food processor. pulse a few times. add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
• press dough evenly into prepared pan.
• bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the edges of the dough are light brown.
for the filling:
• while the crust is baking, combine the sucanat, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup of butter in a heavy bottom pan. bring to a boil over low to medium heat. Once boiled, immediately remove from heat.
• beat eggs in a medium bowl.
• ladle a small amount of the mixture into the beaten eggs. do this a few times to temper the eggs (so they don’t scramble and cook on you). once tempered add the rest of the hot mixture to the eggs and combine.
• stir in the pecans, salt, and the vanilla. mix thoroughly.
• pour over cooked shortbread
• bake for 32-35 minutes or until the filling no longer jiggles when you shake the pan.
• cool completely on a wire rack. once cooled set in fridge for about an hour. this makes cutting them a bit easier. cut into desired size bars or bites.
The Urban Baker / SusanSalzman.com
I have never seen these as a bar!!! How creative! And beautiful!Blessings-Amanda
I appreciate the small size and the fact that you used sucanat as sweetener in these pecan bars. I think each one deserves a candle! xo
I love the shortbread crust! Great treat.
WOW! looks heavenly…
Susan These little cuties look amazing. I love how recipes evolve over the years and knowing that you have reworked and created these make me know that I will try them. Funny how I’m starting to bake more since this group began. Just another positive. Thanks for the post…B
Forget Thanksgiving! I could enjoy these wonderful bites all year ’round.
I love all the layers, what a nice treat
I have never cooked with sucanat before but recently in my lectures I have been learning about the flavour and hygroscopic properties of less refined sugars. I must get back into baking and start using some! It will definitely be in the pecan pie I make for Thanksgiving 🙂
I’m a big sucker for any food in bitesize, and then add pecans to that and I’m a goner. This looks like a great way to serve a lot of people at once. Love it.
I’m a big sucker for any food in bitesize, and then add pecans to that and I’m a goner. This looks like a great way to serve a lot of people at once. Love it.
These bars are probably soooo gooogg! here we love pecan pie too!
Pecan pie is one of my thanksgiving favorites… what a great idea to put it into a bar- That means I can eat it as a snack, too!! ;)That first picture is great!
Better than candy! Small size is good portion control too.
I have a fantastic pecan bar recipe too, that I have been making for years for Christmas. This year, I am planning on attempting to make it low carb. Wish me luck! I am guessing it won’t quite turn out as delicious as yours…but low carb beggars can’t be choosers 😉
These look delicious! Can’t wait to try them. (I’ve never heard of sucanat, though… is it readily available?)
Made these last night and LOVE them!!!
these look so good. I must make them. thanks for sharing