Pecan pie bars with a shortbread base

Pecan pie is wonderful and also a bit of a faff. You need a pastry case, a blind bake, a filling that sets just right, and a very patient guest list. Pecan pie bars keep everything that makes the pie good, the sticky caramel centre, the toasty nuts, the buttery base, and swap the pastry for a simple shortbread you press into a tin. They slice cleanly and travel well.

Ingredients

Makes 16 bars in a 20 cm (8 inch) square tin.

For the base:

• 150 g (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) plain flour
• 40 g (1/3 cup) icing sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 100 g (7 tablespoons) cold butter, cubed

For the filling:

• 150 g (1 1/2 cups) raw pecan halves
• 60 g (4 tablespoons) butter
• 100 g (1/2 cup) soft dark brown sugar
• 90 g (1/4 cup) golden syrup or maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons double cream
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Toast the pecans first

Raw pecans taste fine, but a few minutes in the oven makes them taste like pecans at their best. Spread them on a tray and bake at 175C (350F) for 7 to 8 minutes, until you can smell them. Watch closely, because they go from golden to bitter quickly. Let them cool, then chop about two thirds roughly and leave the rest whole for the top. If you are short on time, pecan pieces save you the chopping.

Make the base

1. Line the tin with baking paper, leaving a little overhang on two sides for lifting.
2. Rub the flour, icing sugar, salt and cold butter together with your fingertips, or pulse in a food processor, until it looks like damp sand.
3. Tip it into the tin and press firmly into an even layer, using the back of a spoon or the bottom of a measuring cup.
4. Prick it all over with a fork and chill for 15 minutes.
5. Bake at 175C (350F) for 18 to 20 minutes, until pale gold at the edges.

While it bakes, make the filling.

Make the filling

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and syrup.
2. Bring to a gentle bubble and cook for 1 minute, stirring, then take off the heat.
3. Stir in the cream, vanilla and salt. Let it cool for 5 minutes. This matters: hot caramel will scramble the eggs.
4. Whisk in the eggs until smooth.
5. Fold in the chopped pecans.

Bake the bars

Pour the filling over the hot base, spreading it evenly, then scatter the whole pecans over the top. Return the tin to the oven and bake for 22 to 25 minutes. The edges should be set and puffed slightly, while the centre will still wobble a touch, like a baked custard. It firms up as it cools.

Cool completely in the tin, at least 2 hours. Chilling for an hour in the fridge makes slicing neater. Lift out with the paper overhang, and use a sharp knife, wiped between cuts, to make 16 squares.

Tips and swaps

• Salt matters. A pinch of flaky salt on the top, once cool, balances the sweetness.
• Use maple-glazed pecans for the topping if you want a sweeter, crunchier crown. Skip the extra sweetness elsewhere and keep an eye on the baking time.
• A spoonful of bourbon or strong coffee in place of the vanilla gives a grown-up note.
• Walnuts work if pecans are unavailable. Our walnut banana bread post has a few more ideas for them.
• For the topping idea above, our post on maple-glazed pecans at home shows how to make your own.

Storing the bars

Keep them in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. Separate layers with baking paper so they do not stick. You can freeze them, wrapped well, for a few weeks. Bring them to room temperature before serving, because cold caramel is quite firm.

If you want to read about the nut itself, the pecan entry on Wikipedia covers its origins and varieties.

Before you serve them

Pecans are a tree nut. If you are baking for guests, tell them what is in the tin, and read the labels on every ingredient you use. Anyone with a medical concern should check with a qualified professional.

Everyone else can cut the biggest square. You earned it.