Ultranutty Pecan Bars (Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen)

 Original Recipe source: Ultranutty Pecan Bars | America's Test Kitchen

 Makes 24 bars

 TIME 1 hour, plus 1½ hours cooling

 A couple notes:

·       This did not work in our stainless steel All-Clad 13 x 9 pan. The cookie layer didn’t brown. A cheap darker pan from TJ Maxx ($7) worked great.

·       I ran out of light corn syrup for my second batch and used dark corn syrup and I thought it was better.

·       I thought the original crust recipe wasn’t enough. Too thin for me, so I used the “Crust x 1.25” measurements below, and that was better.

INGREDIENTS

Crust

1 ¾ cups (8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons (2 2/3 ounces) sugar

½ teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons melted

 

Crust x 1.25 (Recommended):

All-purpose flour | 273.75 grams

Sugar | 93.75 grams

Salt | 3.75 grams

Unsalted butter, melted | 141.75 grams

 

Topping

¾ cup packed (5 1/4 ounces) light brown sugar

½ cup light dark corn syrup (164 grams)

7 tablespoons melted and hot

1 teaspoon

½ teaspoon salt

4 cups (1 pound) pecan halves, toasted

½ teaspoon fancy flake salt, like Malden’s (optional)

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

It is important to use pecan halves, not pieces. The edges of the bars will be slightly firmer than the center. If desired, trim 1/4 inch from the edges before cutting into bars. Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet in a 350-degree oven until fragrant, 8 to 12 minutes, shaking the sheet halfway through.

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Lightly spray foil with vegetable oil spray.

 

Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in medium bowl. Add melted butter and stir with wooden spoon until dough begins to form. Using your hands, continue to combine until no dry flour remains and small portion of dough holds together when squeezed in palm of your hand. Evenly scatter tablespoon-size pieces of dough over surface of pan. Using your fingertips and palm of your hand, press and smooth dough into even thickness in bottom of pan.

 

FOR THE TOPPING: Whisk sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla, and salt together in medium bowl until smooth (mixture will look separated at first but will become homogeneous), about 20 seconds. Fold pecans into sugar mixture until nuts are evenly coated.

 

Pour topping over crust. Using spatula, spread topping over crust, pushing to edges and into corners (there will be bare patches). Bake until topping is evenly distributed and rapidly bubbling across entire surface, 23 to 25 minutes.

 

Transfer pan to wire rack and lightly sprinkle with flake sea salt, if using. Let bars cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 1/2 hours. Using foil overhang, lift bars out of pan and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 24 bars. (Bars can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.)