Pecan Bars with Shortbread Crust

5 from 1 vote

These Pecan Bars have all the flavor of a Pecan Pie in a convenient bar size. The pecan filling sits perfectly on a tender shortbread crust!

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Dessert, Snacks

Cuisine: American

Servings: Servings

Calories: 373kcal

Author: Cynthia

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour 260 g
½ cup granulated sugar 100 g
½ teaspoon fine grain salt
2 sticks unsalted butter 226 g

Filling

¾ cup brown sugar light or dark
¼ cup light corn syrup you can use dark corn syrup, if that’s what you have
¼ cup maple syrup real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Can sub with another ¼ cup corn syrup.
2 tablespoon heavy cream
1 stick unsalted butter 113 g
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
2 cups pecans

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350° and place your oven rack in the middle slot in your oven.
Line a 13 inch by 9 inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to hang over the sides. This will allow you to remove your finished pecan bars from the pan easily.
Place pecans on a large sheet pan and toast them in the 350° oven for about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool, then chop.
Place all the crust ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse them until they are the consistency of damp sand. The mixture should hold together when you squeeze it between your fingers.
Dump the crust dough bowl into the bottom of your 13X9 pan. Using your hands, press the crumbs evenly in the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. We’ll make the filling while the crust bakes.
Place brown sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, heavy cream, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Warm over medium heat until butter is melted and sugar has dissolved, then turn off the heat and remove your pan from the burner. Whisk your egg in a small bowl. Add a small amount of the sugar/butter mix to the egg while whisking. Add a little more and continue whisking.
This is called tempering the egg, or bringing its temperature close to the temperature of the hot sugar/butter mix. This prevents the egg from scrambling when you add it to the warm sugar and butter.
Slowly add the tempered egg into the rest of the sugar/butter mix while whisking. Stir in the toasted and chopped pecans
Pour the pecan filling over your baked crust and spread evenly. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until it’s no longer jiggly in the middle.
Allow to cool for about 30 minutes to an hour before slicing.

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