Pecan Pie Bars

Notes: Original from https://www.wyseguide.com/pecan-pie-bars/. 1 recipe makes 54 square bars (each ~1.75”). Best made the night before you're planning to cut/serve, as they need to be completely cold before cutting or else they will fall apart into a gooey mess.

Ingredients

For the crust (or use your favorite homemade crust recipe)

• 2 cups flour

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

• ½ tsp salt

• 9 Tbsp. butter-flavored shortening, at room temperature, cut into thin slices

For the filling

• 3 eggs

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 cup white corn syrup

• 2 Tbsp. melted butter-flavored shortening, at room temperature

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 3-4 cups rough-chopped pecans

• Optional: 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Line a 16" x 12" jelly roll pan with parchment paper (on bottom AND up all 4 sides). Spray it with parve nonstick cooking spray.

3. Crust: in a large bowl combine flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Mix to combine. Add the shortening chunks. Coat the pieces with flour and cut the fat into the flour with a fork or pastry cutter until the mixture holds together when squeezed in a fist.

5. Spread the crust mixture evenly in the prepared pan (bottom and slightly up the sides) and press down to make a flat crust. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. While the crust is baking, prepare the filling.

6. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs to break up. Add the sugar, corn syrup, melted fat, and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Fold in the chopped pecans.

7. Optional chocolate layer: When the crust is finished baking, remove from the oven and, if desired, sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes (or place in the “off” oven for about 2-3 minutes) until melted. Spread the chocolate on the crust with a straight-edged silicone spatula.

8. Pour the prepared filling over the crust and smooth carefully to the edges.

9. Return to the oven and bake until the filling is set around the edges and jiggles slightly in the middle, about 20 minutes.

10.Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack about 15 minutes before cooling at least 2 hours in the refrigerator, covered with wax paper, before cutting. (For best results, wait until completely COLD in the bottom center of the pan before cutting.) Using a large sharp knife, cut into 9 rows by 5 columns, with each bar approximately 1.75" square.