Can we all agree that we’re ready for a little sweetness in our lives? Yes? Great! I made dessert and I want you to sit down and share some with me. {Because I promise I will eat the whole pan otherwise.}
With everything going on and wrapping up blog projects for 2016, my head has not been in the present. I’m constantly thinking about tomorrow or the week after or the next holiday. While I was painting pumpkins for Halloween, I was planning Thanksgiving. And when I sit down to the table for Thanksgiving, I’ll probably be leading off into Christmas. I think a lot of us go through life this way.
There’s nothing wrong with wondering about or even planning for the future. It’s human nature to want to know what comes next and how it will affect you. But too much thinking ahead and speculating about what might be before it happens can make a person pretty anxious. Sometimes you have to anchor yourself in the moment and realize that’s all you’ve got. What you have in front of you right now, and how to make the most of it.
Deep thoughts for a post about Pecan Pie Bars, right? Hey, I didn’t say there wouldn’t be a price to pay for getting in on this ooey-gooey action.
Baking makes me feel better about things when I’m not sure exactly how I feel. Maybe because, when I’m in the kitchen, it’s one of the only times I’m in my own head space without distraction, so I have some rare “quiet time” to think things through. When I made these bars, I wasn’t exactly sure what the outcome would be because I went off course from a recipe I found in an old Nestle Classic Recipes cookbook I’ve owned for some time.
First of all, when I mixed together the ingredients for the crust, I found that it didn’t make enough to fill out a 9×13 inch pan as was suggested in the original recipe, so I adjusted by squishing it into an 8×8 inch pan. I didn’t have enough corn syrup to make the classic pecan pie filling, so I substituted a mixture of brown and granulated sugar in its place, and reduced the overall sugar content by quite a bit. I changed the amount of pecan and chocolate chips that it called for, but kept the amount of eggs. Finally, I decided last minute that I — well, it — needed a shot of bourbon.
With a wish and a prayer, I put it in the oven and waited to see what would emerge. And guess what happened? When I got the final result, I didn’t like how it looked. Not one bit. Once again, I made some adjustments, adding another sprinkle of chocolate chips and pecans {because when doesn’t that make something better?}, and then I stepped back and reexamined things. Not only did it look much better, but it also made me want to sink my teeth into a piece, which I hadn’t wanted to do at first glance. The one thing that made a difference was knowing that I could do something to fix it so that other people would enjoy it, since most of the time, I’m not baking for myself, but with with the recipient in mind.
Oddly, though I’m not usually a fan of nutty desserts I couldn’t believe how delicious they turned out. I cut a corner off of a bar to sample, then cut a little more until I polished off the whole piece that I had no intention of finishing. Something that I was, just an hour prior, ready to scrap.
You guys… these bars cure most ills. {Unless you eat them all, and then they will likely cause the ills, so try not to do that.} They are incredibly gooey and sweet with the subtle hint of bourbon reminding you that they’re not your average pecan bar. They are made to share because I swear they’d make a lifelong friend out of an enemy.
Make a batch and let them anchor you in the moment. {If you eat enough, you won’t, in fact, be able to move.} And if you’re not sure about my version of the recipe, take a moment to think about how you could make it even better right then {and share, please!}. Because what I’ve found is that each of us has the power to make things better for ourselves and those around us, even when things look bleak. And, well, there’s nothing sweeter than leaving something better than how you found it.
Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
Ingredients
For Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup 1 stick butter, softened
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
Filling
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 tablespoon bourbon*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips {plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling}
- 1 cup pecan chips or roughly chopped pecans {plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling}
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with foil, allowing the "flaps" to extend over the sides for easy lifting. Spray with non-stick spray and set aside.
For Crust:
- In a bowl, mix together flour, butter and brown sugar until the mixture is crumbly and can hold its shape when squeezed together. Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until just starting to brown.
For Filling:
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat together the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, bourbon and vanilla until smooth. Add chocolate chips and pecans and stir to combine.
- Pour into the baked crust, then return to the oven for another 25 to 30 minutes or until the center is just set and no longer jiggly.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with additional chocolate chips and pecans. Let cool completely before pulling out of pan {simply lift the foil flaps}, and slicing into squares.
Notes
