Ingredients
Units
Scale
- Crust Ingredients:
- 2/3 cups of powdered sugar
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 cup of cold unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- Topping Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup of unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup of maple syrup
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons of half and half
- 3 cups of chopped pecans
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 350° and line a 13×9 baking dish with parchment paper. This makes it easy to remove cookie bars when they are at room temperature and makes it easy to cut the cookie bars.
- In a large bowl combine the powdered sugar, and all purpose flour and mix well.
- Cut in with a pastry cutter the unsalted butter cuts into cubes until the mixture is fine to medium crumbs.
- Add the flour/sugar/butter mixture into the pan in an even layer. Pat to make it even and pressed down. I use the bottom of my cup measuring cup to get this even layer.
- Bake the crust in the 350° oven for 20 minutes, do not overbake. Remove from the oven.
- Start making the pecan filling by ruff chopping 3 cups of pecans.
- Next, in a medium saucepan over medium heat add the maple syrup and light brown sugar to a hard boil or 260 degrees.
- Remove from the heat and add the 3 tablespoons of half and half (or heavy cream).
- Mix in the chopped pecans.
- Return to the oven and bake the shortbread crust with the pecan topping for 25 minutes. (the edges should be golden brown)
- Cool completely to room temperature, I cool the cookie bars in the fridge to make them easy to cut into bars with a sharp knife.
Notes
- When measuring all purpose flour that you have not used in a few weeks or months I like to take a whisk and fluff up my flour for more accurate measuring. This serves the same purpose as sifting and is a lot quicker.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
