Maple Pecan Bars :)

I found this picture the other day and it is the only way I can properly explain to you what my life looks like right now:

Busy, but I live for this stuff!

I've been doing on some serious prep work for a wedding on May 9th - a dessert table, which I'm super jazzed about because of the bride (and bride's momma - AG)'s flexibility. The roster will include some of my favorites (most of them already mentioned on the blog) - pies, bars, cookies, and cakes! 

These pecan bars were added as a request from the bride and the story goes - I baked five batches, cut off the edges and brought it to work, they got devoured faster than anything I've ever brought to work before, so I decided to make five more batches to have extra for the wedding (and methinks to keep my job haha). 

These bars are really, really great. That perfect balance of opposing adjectives that can only be understood once tasted - Sweet, but not too sweet. Rich, but not too rich. Light, but packed with butter and zero mercy. 

And they can be frozen for up to 6 months! So, I'll give you the recipe for one batch, but you might as well go all out and make a few batches at a time  because knowing I've got extra pecan bars in the freezer usually helps me sleep better at night. I'm assuming you're the same way - and if not, then you should be. 

Before baking - so five batches will make two half-sheet trays worth of pecan bars. That's 48 bars if you trim and cut them like I do - 24 from each pan. 

The original recipe actually calls for salted caramel to be drizzled on top of these, but I think they're just fine as is. For the wedding to ritz them up a bit, I'll drizzle them in dark chocolate and a sprinkle of fleur de sel. Ugh. Is there anything in life greater than that sweet and savory one-two punch!?

I digress. Here's the recipe - and remember this is for one batch, which will fit in an 8x8 square pan.

You Will Need:

For the Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, very soft

For the Filling:
1 large egg
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
1/3 cup maple or pancake syrup
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 healthy pinch of salt
1 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking pan with parchment or aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray (or I just schmear the butter wrapper with any leftover buttery bits on my parchment and it works fine); set aside. 

To make the crust - in a large bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, and work in the butter until it is evenly distributed and pea-sized lumps and sandy bits form. I usually just use my fingers, but you can use forks or a pastry cutter.

Turn the mixture into the prepared pan and pack it to form a smooth, even crust - again, I just use my fingers. Bake for 17 to 18 minutes, or until crust is just set. Don't over bake because the pan is going to be baked again. While crust bakes, prepare the filling.

In the same bowl you used for the crust, add egg, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt and whisk until combined.

Stir in the peans and set aside until crust is done baking.

After the crust has baked, carefully pour the filling over the crust (giving the filling a stir before pouring it). Arrange pecans with a spatula or with your fingers just to make sure they're evenly distributed and laying flat to prevent burning.

Bake for 16 to 19 minutes, or until center is set and not jiggly. Cool the bars before slicing and serving or freezing. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

Little bites all cut up and ready for nomm-ing!

I should have mentioned this earlier - but I absolutely love that this recipe uses maple syrup and not corn syrup, which is ever so popular in pecan pies. The tastes and smells of these bars when they're baking/being consumed are sensational.

Hope you're enjoying the last bits of your weekend!