Pecan Bars

Recipe:  The cookbook “Afternoon Delights” by James McNair and Andrew Moore; see the Pecan Bars recipe. PDF: Pecan Bars recipe

Ease of Baking: 6/10 (be prepared to spend time chopping and roasting nuts)

Taste: 8/10 (can’t decide between 8 & 9)

It’s the holiday season, so get ready for eggnog, fruitcakes, puddings, and pecans!  Since I don’t like eggnog or fruitcake or pudding, I’ll focus on those holiday foods I do like, and that means it’s time for pecan bars!

This recipe is one my mother used to make for PTA meetings.  I remember Mom making these a few days in advance and setting them on the counter, expecting us to let them sit there untouched, uneaten.  For a budding cookie monster, the word “torture” comes to mind.

The recipe isn’t too tricky to follow; if you follow the PDF that’s attached you should have no problems.

None of the ingredients in these cookies are particularly worth noting (except for the 4 cups of chopped, roasted pecans; these would be much easier to make if not for the pecans).

Fortunately, these bars are worth the effort, and then some! Corn syrup boils differently than regular sugar, which makes for a delicious topping with an unexpected texture. The texture of the topping reminds me a little of rice krispies due to the unique crackle when biting down.  The topping is firm, almost reminding me of a taffy, though not sticky and not so hard.  The crust is a fantastic shortbread consistency, flaky and buttery without tasting like butter (I find that some shortbreads taste like butter, which always bothers me as I feel butter shouldn’t be a front and center ingredient).  The balance between the crust and the topping is just right, and overall the cookie is well-balanced deliciousness.

Suggestions for next time? The crust is fantastic, but I’m tempted to fiddle around with the dough just a little. Trying a little brown sugar, including some vanilla extract, or other type of extract is one idea. As for the topping, I’m tempted to add rice krispies only because of the similar textures. Besides rice krispies, I wouldn’t fiddle with it any more (except to add more vanilla extract which I’d do to any recipe).