caramel pecan bars

You have to love bar cookies.  After shaping and baking hundreds of little individual balls of dough, there is something so satisfying about baking a big pan of cookies and chopping them up!  These are so rich and chewy! They are also very sticky, so not the best choice for a cookie box, but much too good not to include.  You could always wrap each one in a slip of parchment paper if you’re inclined.  I always cut these small, about 1″ squares, because they are so luscious!

caramel pecan bars

ingredients

for crust:

• 2 c. unbleached flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 &  1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. powdered sugar

for topping:

• 1 & 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 6 tbl. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 c. pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Butter or spray with cooking spray a 9×13 metal pan, then line bottom and 2 sides with parchment paper, letting paper overhang the edges(to pull cookies out).  Spray or butter paper.

  Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.  Set aside.  Combine butter and granulated sugar together in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add egg, then vanilla.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Turn machine to low, then slowly add flour mixture.  Press dough evenly into the bottom of the pan, using plastic wrap to keep dough from sticking to your hands.  Chill pan for 20 minutes.

  Preheat oven to 375°.  Bake crust for 20-25 minutes, until it starts to turn golden brown.  Put pan on rack to cool.

  To make the topping, cook the sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat until it starts to melt.  Stir occasionally until sugar starts to turn a deep golden brown.  Tilt pan to side and slowly pour in the cream.  The sugar mixture will foam up and the sugar will harden.  Keep cooking over low heat until the sugar re-dissolves.  Remove from heat and stir in the butter, vanilla and salt.  Once smooth, pour in the chopped pecans and stir to combine.  Pour the mixture into the pan and bake until it starts to bubble, about 20 minutes.  Remove from oven, and cool completely on wire rack.

  When ready to cut, lift out the cookies with the parchment paper ( you may need to run a knife along the edges of the pan to release).  Run a knife under hot water, dry, and cut into 1″ squares.  I usually trim the edges off the make neater looking cookies.

2 batches made, 115 made, 583 to go.