Ingredients
Units
Scale
Shortbread Crust
- 250 grams (2 Cups) All-Purpose Flour
- 66 grams (1/3 Cup) Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 6oz (3/4 Cup) Unsalted Butter, melted
Pecan Filling
- 10oz (2 1/2 Cups) Pecans, (lightly toast for 5 minutes at 300F if desired)
- 4oz (1/2 Cup) Butter
- 3 Large Eggs, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 8oz (1 Cup) Light Corn Syrup
- 150 grams (3/4 Cup) Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Molasses
- Homemade Whipped Cream
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C and line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs on the side and you can easily remove the bars from the pan later. Then grease every corner of the parchment paper just to ensure nothing sticks.
- In a large bowl add your flour, salt, and granulated sugar. Whisk to combine. Then pour in your melted butter, and use a spatula to mix it together. Place shortbread crust into the prepared pan and press down evenly making sure the crust fills the whole bottom of the pan. Bake for 18-23 minutes just until lightly golden brown.
Pecan Filling
- I prefer to use lightly toasted pecans for a better flavor but you can use raw pecans if you want. In a large pot over low-medium heat melt the butter and stir until the butter starts to produce golden brown flecks and you smell a nutty aroma*. Immediately take the pot off of the heat, the butter can turn from brown butter to burnt butter very quickly! Pour into a heatproof bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk filling together eggs, vanilla, corn syrup, brown sugar, salt, molasses, and brown butter. Make sure to whisk until there is no trace of the egg left behind. Reserve about 1/3 of the full pecan halves and roughly chop the rest of the pecans. Add the chopped pecans to the filling mixture and mix to combine.
- Pour filling into the par-baked crust and arrange the remaining pecans on top. Gently press the pecans into the filling to kind of get them wet. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the center of the pie registers to 185F/ 85C, I use my Thermapen MK4. Let cool completely before slicing. I prefer to make them the day before then chill them in the fridge to set. Cut into four rows on each side to create 16 bars. Best served within 2 days but store leftovers in an airtight container.