One of my favorite recipes to make for the fall season is Pecan Pie Bars!! A buttery, sweet crust with a gooey toffee pecan filling baked to perfection... What's not to love!This recipe is great for parties or a gift... It's definitely a crowd favorite!
Fun fact: if you have a membership to a wholesale store (ie Sams Club or Costco), price per oz on pecans will be much cheaper there! If you're worried about having a life supply of nuts for just one recipe, store the nuts in the freezer and they'll keep longer!
Wishing you happy baking and sweeter days,
Lizzy
Pecan Pie Bars-
Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home- Thanksgiving edition
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (I like to add almond extract to enhance the toffee flavor)
Pinch salt (I don't add the salt, but if you like that salty sweet contrast be sure to add)
1 package (10 ounces) English toffee bits (I used Heath English Toffee Bits. Usually found in the baking section with chocolate chips.) or 1 package (7 1/2 ounces) almond brickle chips
1 cup chopped pecans
In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles course meal. (A pastry blender works great for this step.) Press firmly onto the bottom of a greased 13in x 9in x 2in baking dish. (Dough can be very sticky. I usually flour my hands to press the dough into the pan.) Bake 350 degrees for 15 minutes. (Once you take the crust out, I like to take a fork and poke holes throughout the crust. I find this helps the filling adhere to the crust better!)
Meanwhile, in large mixing bowl (by hand), beat the milk, egg, vanilla, almond extract and salt (optional) until smooth. Stir in toffee chips and pecans; spread evenly over baked crust.
Bake for 20-25 minutes longer or until lightly browned. (Usually the pecan filling is bubbly all over!) Cool. Cover and chill; cut into bars. (I usually cut the bars at room temperature, then chill!) Store in refrigerator.
