cheese better. I mixed the egg white into the filling---no need to waste it and it was just fine. the crust is crisper than a cream cheese dough. and, no way that recipe makes 36---I got 24. Pioneer Woman had posted this yesterday and it sounded easy and it was. but I would stick with the cream cheese doughhttp://www.landolakes.com/recipe/4391/pecan-pie-bites
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I made these Land O Lakes Pecan pie bites last night. OK, but I like the tassie dough with cream
- Thread starter angak1
- Start date
REC: Ultranutty Pecan Bars from CI
Ultranutty Pecan Bars
By Cook's Illustrated, Published November 2015
Why This Recipe Works
Pecan bars usually take the lead from pecan pie and are more about a thick, custardy filling than the pecans. We wanted a bar cookie that made the nuts the main focus. For the filling, we increased the amount of pecans to a full pound and tossed them in a thick mixture of brown sugar, corn syrup, and melted butter for an easy dump-and-stir filling that spread itself evenly in the oven. With so many nuts, our pecan bars have varying textures, some parts chewy and some crunchy. By using melted butter, we were able to create an easy press-in crust (no need for the food processor). And since we eliminated the wet custardy filling, the crust also didn’t need parbaking. A final sprinkling of flaky sea salt elevates the flavor and appearance of the treat.
Makes 24 bars
Ingredients
Crust
1 ¾cups (8 ¾ ounces) all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons (2 ⅔ ounces) sugar
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Topping
¾ cup packed (5 ¼ ounces) light brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and hot
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups (1 pound) pecan halves, toasted
½ teaspoon flake sea salt (optional)
It is important to use pecan halves, not pieces. The edges of the bars will be slightly firmer than the center. If desired, trim 1/4 inch from the edges before cutting into bars. Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet in a 350-degree oven until fragrant, 8 to 12 minutes, shaking the sheet halfway through.
1. FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Lightly spray foil with vegetable oil spray.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir with wooden spoon until dough begins to form. Using your hands, continue to combine until no dry flour remains and small portion of dough holds together when squeezed in palm of your hand. Evenly scatter tablespoon-size pieces of dough over surface of pan. Using your fingertips and palm of your hand, press and smooth dough into even thickness in bottom of pan.
3. FOR THE TOPPING: Whisk sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla, and salt together in medium bowl until smooth (mixture will look separated at first but will become homogeneous), about 20 seconds. Fold pecans into sugar mixture until nuts are evenly coated.
4. Pour topping over crust. Using spatula, spread topping over crust, pushing to edges and into corners (there will be bare patches). Bake until topping is evenly distributed and rapidly bubbling across entire surface, 23 to 25 minutes.
5. Transfer pan to wire rack and lightly sprinkle with flake sea salt, if using. Let bars cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 1/2 hours. Using foil overhang, lift bars out of pan and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 24 bars. (Bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.)
Ultranutty Pecan Bars
By Cook's Illustrated, Published November 2015
Why This Recipe Works
Pecan bars usually take the lead from pecan pie and are more about a thick, custardy filling than the pecans. We wanted a bar cookie that made the nuts the main focus. For the filling, we increased the amount of pecans to a full pound and tossed them in a thick mixture of brown sugar, corn syrup, and melted butter for an easy dump-and-stir filling that spread itself evenly in the oven. With so many nuts, our pecan bars have varying textures, some parts chewy and some crunchy. By using melted butter, we were able to create an easy press-in crust (no need for the food processor). And since we eliminated the wet custardy filling, the crust also didn’t need parbaking. A final sprinkling of flaky sea salt elevates the flavor and appearance of the treat.
Makes 24 bars
Ingredients
Crust
1 ¾cups (8 ¾ ounces) all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons (2 ⅔ ounces) sugar
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Topping
¾ cup packed (5 ¼ ounces) light brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and hot
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups (1 pound) pecan halves, toasted
½ teaspoon flake sea salt (optional)
It is important to use pecan halves, not pieces. The edges of the bars will be slightly firmer than the center. If desired, trim 1/4 inch from the edges before cutting into bars. Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet in a 350-degree oven until fragrant, 8 to 12 minutes, shaking the sheet halfway through.
1. FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Lightly spray foil with vegetable oil spray.
2. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir with wooden spoon until dough begins to form. Using your hands, continue to combine until no dry flour remains and small portion of dough holds together when squeezed in palm of your hand. Evenly scatter tablespoon-size pieces of dough over surface of pan. Using your fingertips and palm of your hand, press and smooth dough into even thickness in bottom of pan.
3. FOR THE TOPPING: Whisk sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla, and salt together in medium bowl until smooth (mixture will look separated at first but will become homogeneous), about 20 seconds. Fold pecans into sugar mixture until nuts are evenly coated.
4. Pour topping over crust. Using spatula, spread topping over crust, pushing to edges and into corners (there will be bare patches). Bake until topping is evenly distributed and rapidly bubbling across entire surface, 23 to 25 minutes.
5. Transfer pan to wire rack and lightly sprinkle with flake sea salt, if using. Let bars cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 1/2 hours. Using foil overhang, lift bars out of pan and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 24 bars. (Bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.)
and the BIG BATCH version: Toasted Pecan Bars
This was made for a Christmas tea to serve 500 women, so LARGE batch recipes had to be provided to cooks of varying degrees of proficiency, hence increased detail in preparation smileys/smile.gif
Toasted Pecan Bars
Yield: 72 1-1/2" bars
Ingredients
CRUST:
3 ½ c. all-purpose flour
¾ c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ c. unsalted butter, melted
TOPPING:
1 ½ c. brown sugar, packed
1 c. dark corn syrup
14 T. unsalted Butter, melted and hot
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
8 c. pecan halves, toasted*
1 tsp. flake sea salt
Method
FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray
12x17” rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray, then line bottom with parchment.
Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir with wooden spoon
until dough begins to form. Using your hands, continue to combine until no dry flour remains and small
portion of dough holds together when squeezed in palm of your hand. Evenly scatter tablespoon-size pieces
of dough over surface of pan. Using your fingertips and palm of your hand, press and smooth dough into
even thickness in bottom of pan.
FOR THE TOPPING: Whisk sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla, and salt together in large bowl
until smooth (mixture will look separated at first but will become homogeneous). Fold pecans into sugar
mixture until nuts are evenly coated.
Pour topping over crust. Using rubber spatula, spread topping over crust, pushing to edges and into
corners as evenly as possible (there will be bare patches, but it fills in during baking). Bake until topping
is evenly distributed and rapidly bubbling across entire surface, 23 to 25 minutes. (Don’t hurry this—better to
leave it in a few minutes longer than take it out too soon.)
Transfer pan to wire rack and lightly sprinkle with flake sea salt. Let bars cool completely in pan on rack,
about 1 1/2 hours. Cut into 72 1 1/2” bars. (Bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.)
Notes
*It is important to use pecan halves, not pieces, or they’ll toast unevenly. Toast the pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet in a 350-degree oven until fragrant and slightly darkened, about 12 minutes.
It may be easier to cut these if you turn them out on a cutting board first to avoid the rim.
Source: CI - 11/15 (adapted)
This was made for a Christmas tea to serve 500 women, so LARGE batch recipes had to be provided to cooks of varying degrees of proficiency, hence increased detail in preparation smileys/smile.gif
Toasted Pecan Bars
Yield: 72 1-1/2" bars
Ingredients
CRUST:
3 ½ c. all-purpose flour
¾ c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ c. unsalted butter, melted
TOPPING:
1 ½ c. brown sugar, packed
1 c. dark corn syrup
14 T. unsalted Butter, melted and hot
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
8 c. pecan halves, toasted*
1 tsp. flake sea salt
Method
FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray
12x17” rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray, then line bottom with parchment.
Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir with wooden spoon
until dough begins to form. Using your hands, continue to combine until no dry flour remains and small
portion of dough holds together when squeezed in palm of your hand. Evenly scatter tablespoon-size pieces
of dough over surface of pan. Using your fingertips and palm of your hand, press and smooth dough into
even thickness in bottom of pan.
FOR THE TOPPING: Whisk sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla, and salt together in large bowl
until smooth (mixture will look separated at first but will become homogeneous). Fold pecans into sugar
mixture until nuts are evenly coated.
Pour topping over crust. Using rubber spatula, spread topping over crust, pushing to edges and into
corners as evenly as possible (there will be bare patches, but it fills in during baking). Bake until topping
is evenly distributed and rapidly bubbling across entire surface, 23 to 25 minutes. (Don’t hurry this—better to
leave it in a few minutes longer than take it out too soon.)
Transfer pan to wire rack and lightly sprinkle with flake sea salt. Let bars cool completely in pan on rack,
about 1 1/2 hours. Cut into 72 1 1/2” bars. (Bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.)
Notes
*It is important to use pecan halves, not pieces, or they’ll toast unevenly. Toast the pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet in a 350-degree oven until fragrant and slightly darkened, about 12 minutes.
It may be easier to cut these if you turn them out on a cutting board first to avoid the rim.
Source: CI - 11/15 (adapted)