Pecan Squares
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Celebrating 2000, Special Issue 2000
- Yield Makes about 32 cookies
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Ingredients
- 18 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup light-brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup light-brown sugar, firmly packed
- 6 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (8 ounces) pecan halves
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Place rack in center of oven. Heat oven to 375 degrees. To make the crust: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add salt, and mix to combine. Add flour 1 cup at a time, on medium speed, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition. Continue mixing until the dough begins to come together in large clumps.
- Press dough about 1/4-inch thick into a 9-by-13-by-1-inch baking pan. Prick the pastry with the tines of a fork. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Reduce oven to 325 degrees. To make the filling: Place butter, brown sugar, honey, granulated sugar, heavy cream, and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; stir in nuts and vanilla.
- Pour filling onto the cooled crust. Bake until filling bubbles, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Run a paring knife around edges of the pan, and invert onto cooling rack, leaving the pastry on the rack. Invert rack with pastry onto a cutting board, leaving the pastry on the board, filling side up. Use a sharp knife to cut into 1-by-3-inch bars. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.
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oh, and let this cool in the pan before removing so the filling can set and the crust doesn't break. I think that is one of the most important instructions to this recipe
I started making these with doubt in my mind that they wouldn't be good. I was worried about the crust, then worried their wasn't enough filling.
The crust is really good, especially after the second baking, and there is plenty of filling. I only changed one ingredient. Honey for corn syrup. I would also toast the pecans.
I think the crust is a little bit thick for the amount of filling.
Use parchment paper to line your pan making for easy pan removal.
When I made these (for the second time) is used Brown Sugar Splenda instead of the brown sugar. They turned out great! No one will know they are made with Splenda instead of regualr brown sugar.
easy peasy to make, i didn't use an electric mixer with a bowl, just a hand-held mixer and it worked for the crust too.
a bonus is how wonderful the whole house smells after baking this! thanks martha!
Soooo flavorful! Best pecan dessert I've had! So buttery, way better than a pecan pie. What am I doing writing this review, I should be eating another pecan square right now!
These are easy to prepare and very delicious. I lined my pan with parchment paper, when cooled, it was very easy to remove the entire sheet of bars to my cutting board. By adding chopped pecans rather than half pieces, the finished bars were easier to cut too. My husband thought these pecan bars were better than those at our local pastry shop!
mykele - thank you so much for your kind words! Laughter IS INDEED the best medicine! Sometimes the complaints on here are so ridiculous I just can't hold it back. I have to say something! Hope your friend is doing well. What a GREAT friend you are to make cookies for them!
I made these yesterday and my family absolutely loved them! They are easy to whip together. I didn't let the crust cool at all and I think they were perfect.
I made these yesterday, using the Macadamia recipe of last week and substituting the Macadamias with pecans.........did not want a 9 x 13 dessert just too much for 2 people...anyway, they turned out great! My husband loves them. Not too sweet either!
Debbie Durham, You just made my day!!! I have been busy making
cookies and brownies for a friend and her husband who just had
major surgery and needed some cheering up. I am a bit tired
but your last two comments gave me a good laugh and that is
the best medicine when one is tired and needs to relax. Thank you
so much. I am not a pro-baker but have never had a problem
with following any recipe..guess I use common sense.
myke43@msn.com
4 tablespoons equals a quarter cup, so 18 tbsp is 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. It doesn't sound like so much this way, when you think of it as a cookie base.
KrafteeLaydee "PRESS DOUGH IN A PAN" That usually means that's the crust!Don't add any more ingredients with the crust if it says " to make filling" UNTIL IT PLAINLY SAYS "pour filling onto.........
Honey, you should stay out of the kitchen!
The instructions made perfect sense to me! Just because it does not tell me "use the first amount of butter only for the crust or use the 18 tblsp of butter for the crust" I KNEW THAT because it started out with "to make the crust" it ended with "add the flour mix well, press in the pan"
Can you not figure out when it gives two amounts of the same ingredient that you use it at two different times? If not - you don't need to be around electrical appliances - ESPECIALLY THE STOVE!
Is 18 tablespoons of butter correct? (1st ingredient)
This recipe is a disorganized mess! I doubt that Martha wrote these instructions - I doubt she even saw this. What ingredients go where??? When does the crust end and the filling begin? The photo looks super-delicious!!
I am with Laurie. Most people are used to recipes the old fashioned way where it is indicated as to what ingredients go where. Such as "make crust using the first four ingredients", then, for filling proceed to give those ingredients and instructions and so on to end of rest of recipe.
Hi Laurie,
You must mix the 4 first ingredients, then put in pan
I'd love to know how everyone made these bars. They look great. But both the crust and filling have Butter, Brown Sugar and Salt in each. The receipe does not indicate how much of these ingrediants go into the crust and how much goes into the filling. Am I reading the recipe wrong or are these incomplete instructions again!?
About a week ago there was a Macadamia Maple Bars recipe posted......if you dont want to use a 9 x 13 pan you can use the Macadamia recipe and substitute the Macadamia nuts for pecans, the maple for honey, etc.....basically the same. And they dont let the cookie base cool completely only slightly!
You have to be careful with refrigeration. Sometimes the pastry may shrink.
Can you just refrigerate them, to cool them?
To: v6jodxd
In order to make the time of cooling go by faster, simply take the crust outside with you, and it will cool signficantly faster. This works best in the colder months of course. Happy baking! :)
I just made these and they're a HUGE hit! They're a bit too sweet..but soooooo good!
It took a lot of patience to wait for the crust to cool completely...any idea as to why we need to wait? Will it change the recipe?
This are WONDERFUL - easy and DELISH. I didn't have heavy cream in the house so I used melted vanilla ice cream (happened to have that).
Cna't keep them around for a week to see if they are still great after being stored in an airtight container for a week. Sometimes I make the crust one night and then the top in the morning - the house smells wonderful and they are such a hit!
To angepan: just substitute the 2 Tbs heavy cream for about 1 and a half Tbs of milk plus half a Tbs of butter.
I am living in Turkey and I couldn't find heavy cream .What can you advise to me instead of heavy cream?
this looks and sounds a lot like a recipe I had years ago, and had lost. can't wait to try it1
I saw this as the cookie of the day and I love pecan pie and so does my family and I thought I would try it. It got great family reviews. They are going fast. It was super easy to make, and turned out of the pan in one, 9 x 13 piece, which I doubted that it would. It was easy to cut into bars and did not crumble into bits. I'll be making this one again. This recipe is a home run at my house... 10 stars. Thanks, Martha
This one was already put up for cookie of the day about a month ago.
Perfect when wanting something other than a regular cookie, short time since it's all one pan baking. Just like a pecan pie but in bars, love it.
These were so easy to make and they taste wonderful! I will definitely make them again.
These taste so good. I did have a problem with them being a little too runny. Maybe next time I'll let them cook longer than 20 minutes.
WOW! I brought these to work today for a luncheon. One colleague had to hug me for bringing them! Next time, I will build up the crust around the edges as in the picture. I didn't pay attention to the picture and it was a job getting it away from the sides of the pan. This is now going on my list of holiday cookies! WOW...amazing!
A favorite with myfamily, friends and co-workers! If you like pecan pie, you'll love this cookie.
Even my two evil brother-in-laws become nice when these are around. A BIG hit! Tedious to make the crust at times but SO worth it.
Another Martha winner. My son-in-law's favortie.