My guys put in a request for a race-worthy treat to enjoy while watching all two minutes of the Kentucky Derby. Of course, the traditional Kentucky Derby Pie gets a lot of attention this time of year and that recipe – although often copied - is a family secret. I know this much, it has walnuts and chocolate and is very sweet. I love to serve pie, preferably with a big scoop of ice cream, when six people are invited to dinner with a lovely dessert to follow, but when friends come over for a porch party, to watch a sporting event, or just a picnic for any occasion, Pecan Pie Bars are perfect.
These bars are everything you want in a dessert — sweet and salty and just full of beautiful pecans. Besides being deliciously addictive, they are a packable, portable and passable – three key rules for hosting a crowd. I’m going to admit something: I played with my recipe a bit. The crust had to be just right, the filling had to be, well…magic. You can’t offer your family and friends a Pecan Bar that is less than stellar, so that was the goal. I tried both cane syrup and corn syrup. I made a crust with confectioners sugar and one with regular sugar. I even experimented with different nuts – this could have been a walnut bar, but in the end this version of Pecan Pie Bars turned out to be the hands down winner and exactly what I was looking for. To make the crust a little tastier, combining both brown and white sugar turned out to be the trick. Corn syrup won, with the addition of brown sugar and bourbon to make a rich, delicious filling. Pecans just had to be it – I’m a pecan pie kind of gal and they are always a crowd pleaser.
Now, if you are thinking about when to give this recipe a shot, maybe next week for Steeplechase – whether you go or not – just to celebrate the weekend. But this is the kind of timeless dessert bar that can go anywhere anytime and is always wins the award for “Most Popular.” Make this soon and that same superlative will be yours to claim!
Ingredients
Crust
2 sticks cold butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
½ tsp salt
2 cups flour
Filling
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
5 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp bourbon (may substitute vanilla)
½ stick butter, melted
2 cups pecans
Directions
For crust: Line a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with parchment paper, or spray with cooking spray.
In the bowl of an electric mixer combine butter and both sugars.
Mix in salt and flour until mixture begins to come comes together into a dough.
Press dough into prepared pan and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake crust for 25 to 30 minutes until lightly browned.
For filling: Mix melted butter with corn syrup and brown sugar.
Add eggs, salt, and bourbon, and combine thoroughly.
Stir in pecans.
Pour filling into baked crust and bake for 30 minutes or until set.
Cool completely before cutting into bars.
