Pecan pie is my husband's favorite dessert (close tie with pineapple upside down cake... which I have yet to master)... and this recipe for pecan pie bars is heavenly!
Sandy's Pecan Pie Bars
Makes 12 bars
Makes 12 bars
- Butter-flavored cooking spray
- 24 pecan shortbread cookies (such as Pecan Sandies)
- 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, divided use
- 1¼ cups packed dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup light-colored ("white") corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons whipping cream
- 2 cups pecans, chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Preliminaries: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Make cookie base: Pulse cookies in food processor until crumbs. Cut 1 stick (½ cup) butter into pieces, and pulse with crumbs until together they form a mass. Lightly pat mixture into the prepared baking pan. Bake 15 minutes and cool completely on a wire rack. Leave oven on.
Make the topping: In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining ½ cup butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and whipping cream. Cook and stir over medium heat, until boiling. Let boil 1 minute, and remove from heat. Stir in pecans and vanilla.
Final baking: Pour pecan mixture over the cooled base. Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes or until bubbling.
Presentation: Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars, and serve.
Source: Adapted from "Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Desserts 2," (SLSH Enterprises Inc., 2008).
