Pecan Bars

March 17th, 2009 by justJENN

I wanted to use the leftover pecans from making cookies. These seemed like an easy jump. They are SO GOOD you just want to eat them standing up, right out of the pan. But don’t. It’s not attractive.

ingredients for the crust:
2 sticks butter
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-3/4 cups flour

ingredients for the filling:
1 stick butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream (I use whole milk. Don’t tell anyone.)
pinch of salt
2 cups pecan halves
1 teaspoon vanilla

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until combined. Add the salt, then slowly add the flour until the mixture is crumbly.

Press into a 9″ x 13″ pan. Chill in the fridge for about 20 mins. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prick the crust with a fork and bake for 17-20 minutes. Cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. While the crust is cooling, make the filling. In a saucepan over high heat, melt the butter, brown sugar, honey, cream and white sugar. Stirring constantly. When it is all combined, take if off the heat and add the salt, vanilla and pecans. Mix together.

Pour on top of the cooled crust. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool completely. Using a sharp knife, cut into bars. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.