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Small Batch Pecan Bars

Pecan pie in bar form: these pecan bars have a shortbread base and a delicious maple filling. This recipe is specifically formulated to make a small batch- for when you're craving a pecan hit, but don't want to be overwhelmed by bars!
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword Maple Syrup, Pecan bar, Pecans, Shortbread
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 bars

Equipment

  • 1 900g (2lb) loaf tin (21cm x 11cm x 7cm)

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 105 g plain flour
  • 2 tsp cornflour (see Note 1).
  • 45 g icing sugar
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 50 g unsalted butter, cold from the fridge and diced.

For the filling:

  • 60 g unsalted butter
  • 40 g maple syrup (see Note 2).
  • 3 tbsp double cream
  • 50 g light brown soft sugar
  • 1 generous pinch of salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 splash vanilla extract
  • 120 g pecans, toasted and roughly chopped.

Instructions

Make the shortbread crust:

  • Preheat the oven to 170°C (conventional oven). Line the loaf tin with greaseproof paper and set aside.
  • Place the flour, cornflour, icing sugar and salt into a bowl, then add the cold, diced butter.
  • Rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  • Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and use the back of a spoon to press it down into an even, compact layer. Bake the crust in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until just starting to turn slightly golden around the edges.

Make the pecan filling:

  • While the crust is baking, make the filling. Place the butter, maple syrup, double cream, brown sugar and salt into a small saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Stir every now and then as it heats up, to combine everything.
  • Once the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat to medium and bring to the boil. Leave the mixture to boil undisturbed for 3 minutes.
  • While the mixture is boiling, whisk the egg in a small heatproof bowl, until the white and yolk are completely combined.
  • Once the filling has boiled, pour it into the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent the egg from scrambling.
  • Add the vanilla extract to the filling mixture and whisk well until the mixture is completely smooth. Finally, stir in the chopped pecans.
  • By this point, the shortbread base should have finished baking. Pour the warm filling onto the hot crust and level it out with a spatula. Then, place back into the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes, until the filling is just starting to turn a deeper colour around the edges.
  • Allow the bars to cool completely in the tin before removing and cutting into squares. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Notes

  1. Adding cornflour helps to make the bars a little more tender, but you can omit it, if you prefer. Just increase the amount of plain flour to 110g and continue with the recipe as normal.
  2. I like to use maple syrup, because I love the deep flavour and colour, plus I think it compliments the pecans really well. If you prefer, you can substitute an equal amount of golden syrup or honey, but the flavour will be less intense and the bars will be paler in colour.