Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan pie is a Thanksgiving tradition on my side of the family AND on my husband's side.  But each side has its own recipe...and now, I'd like to throw a third pecan pie recipe into the mix.

Well, technically, these are pecan pie bars. I made these for my husband to take to a work party and the tray came back empty. Of course, we had to test them before sending them off and loved them!  We both actually liked the shortbread in this recipe better than pie crust. (Neither of us are huge fans of pie crust even though we love pie -- isn't that weird?) And, of course, the filling is all pecan pie flavor.

I cut out a tiny bit of the sugar and butter in the original recipe, but to be honest, I wouldn't have been able to tell a difference.  These are still full of sugar and butter and a definite treat, but it's a recipe that I'll definitely make over and over again!

Pecan Pie Bars
Taken from: The Girl Who Ate Everything
Makes 24 bars (could easily be halved in a 8x8 pan)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup unsalted butter, cold (10 2/3 tablespoons - I used about 9 Tbsp)

Filling:

3 eggs

1 scant cup light corn syrup

1/3 cup white sugar

1/2 scant cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking dish with heavy foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt. Cut in 2/3 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. You can use a pastry blender or just two knives. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the prepared pan, and press in firmly.
3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven.
4. While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. In a large bowl mix together the eggs, corn syrup, 1/3 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the chopped pecans. Spread the filling evenly over the crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.
5. Bake for 30-45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the middle is set (mine took 40 minutes; I checked at 30 minutes and then checked every few minutes after that). If the top starts getting too browned, cover with aluminum foil.
6. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing into bars with a sharp knife (I used a sharp serrated knife which worked very well).