Ultranutty Pecan Bars
By Annie PetitoPublished on September 24, 2015
Time
1 hour, plus 1½ hours cooling
Yield
Makes 24 bars
Ingredients
Crust
1 ¾ cups (8 ¾ ounces/248 grams) all-purpose flour 6 tablespoons (2 ⅔ ounces/75 grams) sugar ½ teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, meltedTopping
¾ cup packed (5 ¼ ounces/149 grams) light brown sugar ½ cup light corn syrup 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and hot1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon salt 4 cups (1 pound) pecan halves, toasted½ teaspoon flake sea salt (optional)Before You Begin
It is important to use pecan halves, not pieces. The edges of the bars will be slightly firmer than the center. If desired, trim 1/4 inch from the edges before cutting into bars. Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet in a 350-degree oven until fragrant, 8 to 12 minutes, shaking the sheet halfway through.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Lightly spray foil with vegetable oil spray.
- Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir with wooden spoon until dough begins to form. Using your hands, continue to combine until no dry flour remains and small portion of dough holds together when squeezed in palm of your hand. Evenly scatter tablespoon-size pieces of dough over surface of pan. Using your fingertips and palm of your hand, press and smooth dough into even thickness in bottom of pan.
- Whisk sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla, and salt together in medium bowl until smooth (mixture will look separated at first but will become homogeneous), about 20 seconds. Fold pecans into sugar mixture until nuts are evenly coated.
- Pour topping over crust. Using spatula, spread topping over crust, pushing to edges and into corners (there will be bare patches). Bake until topping is evenly distributed and rapidly bubbling across entire surface, 23 to 25 minutes.
- Transfer pan to wire rack and lightly sprinkle with flake sea salt, if using. Let bars cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 1/2 hours. Using foil overhang, lift bars out of pan and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 24 bars. (Bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.)
for the crust
for the topping
Time
1 hour, plus 1½ hours coolingYield
Makes 24 barsIngredients
Crust
Topping
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Crust
Topping
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Crust
Topping
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Pecan bars usually take the lead from pecan pie and are more about a thick, custardy filling than the pecans. We wanted a bar cookie that made the nuts the main focus. For the filling, we increased the amount of pecans to a full pound and tossed them in a thick mixture of brown sugar, corn syrup, and melted butter for an easy dump-and-stir filling that spread itself evenly in the oven. With so many nuts, our pecan bars have varying textures, some parts chewy and some crunchy. By using melted butter, we were able to create an easy press-in crust (no need for the food processor). And since we eliminated the wet custardy filling, the crust also didn’t need parbaking. A final sprinkling of flaky sea salt elevates the flavor and appearance of the treat.
Before You Begin
It is important to use pecan halves, not pieces. The edges of the bars will be slightly firmer than the center. If desired, trim 1/4 inch from the edges before cutting into bars. Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet in a 350-degree oven until fragrant, 8 to 12 minutes, shaking the sheet halfway through.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Lightly spray foil with vegetable oil spray.
- Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir with wooden spoon until dough begins to form. Using your hands, continue to combine until no dry flour remains and small portion of dough holds together when squeezed in palm of your hand. Evenly scatter tablespoon-size pieces of dough over surface of pan. Using your fingertips and palm of your hand, press and smooth dough into even thickness in bottom of pan.
- Whisk sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla, and salt together in medium bowl until smooth (mixture will look separated at first but will become homogeneous), about 20 seconds. Fold pecans into sugar mixture until nuts are evenly coated.
- Pour topping over crust. Using spatula, spread topping over crust, pushing to edges and into corners (there will be bare patches). Bake until topping is evenly distributed and rapidly bubbling across entire surface, 23 to 25 minutes.
- Transfer pan to wire rack and lightly sprinkle with flake sea salt, if using. Let bars cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 1/2 hours. Using foil overhang, lift bars out of pan and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 24 bars. (Bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.)
for the crust
for the topping
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