Last year, I made these pecan pie bars in place of a pecan pie because for some reason it seemed too much. I think I was right because these babies were getting picked off before dinner! These were a total crowd-pleaser and I may just have to make them again...
INGREDIENTS
For the crust:
1½ cup flour
¼ cup cornstarch
½ cup brown sugar
¾ cup butter, softened
For the filling:
¾ cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1½ tsp. vanilla
4 T. butter, melted
2 cups pecans, chopped
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9 inch pan with foil. Then spray with cooking oil spray.
- Mix the crust ingredients together in a mixer with the paddle attachment (or with a fork by hand) until crumbly. Press the crust mixture into the prepared pan.
- Bake the crust for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned
- In a medium sized bowl, mix the corn syrup, sugar, eggs, vanilla and butter with a whisk. When it is nice and creamy, stir in the chopped pecans and chocolate chips.
- Gently pour the filling over the baked crust, making sure to evenly distribute the pecans and chocolate chips.
- Bake another 25-30 minutes or until set. The edges will be slightly darker than the rest of the dish.
- Cool the bars completely on a wire cooling rack before cutting. When ready to cut, use the foil to lift them out of the pan. (This will make cutting easier) Use a sharp knife and cut into desired size. Store in an airtight container. These bars are best after they have cooled completely and "set up" 2-3 hours. (I like them best the next day!)
NOTES
*If you prefer not to use chocolate, you can omit and add more pecans if you would like.