Pecan Pie Bars With a Shortbread Base and a Caramel Filling That Slices Cleanly

Pecan is the quiet flavour of this autumn menu cycle. Food Republic’s 6 October launch round-up lists a new Pecan Pie Bar at Firehouse Subs, baked daily in each shop at $3.29, and a pecan mini pie at Starbucks. Food Network reported on 30 September that Firehouse had added a house-made pecan bar this season, with pecan and caramel flavours, to sit alongside its returning Thanksgiving turkey sub.

A bar is simply the sensible way to make a pecan pie. You keep the sticky, caramelised filling, which is eggs, sugar, butter and nuts, and swap the fragile pastry shell for a shortbread base pressed into a tin. It cuts cleanly, travels to a party and does not need a fork.

Pecan pie is a Southern dessert built on a custard of eggs and syrup, and its sweetness is the reason it is best served in small pieces. Bars, cut to about 5 cm squares, suit that.

The one technique that matters is the par-bake. The shortbread goes in alone first so it stays crisp under the wet filling, and the filling is cooked briefly on the hob so the sugar dissolves and the nuts do not sink.

Ingredients

Makes 16 bars. Total time about 3 hours, including 2 hours of cooling.

• For the base: 190 g plain flour, 50 g icing sugar, 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, 115 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• For the filling: 60 g unsalted butter
• 120 g light brown sugar
• 120 g golden syrup or light corn syrup
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 150 g pecan halves, lightly toasted and roughly chopped

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 C (160 C fan). Line a 20 cm square tin with baking paper, leaving an overhang on two sides.
2. Make the base: pulse or rub the flour, icing sugar, salt and butter until the mixture clumps. Press it firmly and evenly into the tin.
3. Bake the base for 18 to 20 minutes until pale golden at the edges. Leave the oven on and reduce it to 175 C (155 C fan).
4. Melt the butter, brown sugar and syrup in a small pan over medium heat, stirring, and let it bubble for 2 minutes. Take it off the heat and cool for 5 minutes.
5. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla, salt and flour until smooth. The mixture must be warm, not hot, or the eggs will scramble.
6. Scatter the pecans over the hot base and pour the filling evenly over them.
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is set at the edges and has only a slight wobble in the centre. It firms up as it cools.
8. Cool completely in the tin, at least 2 hours, then lift out using the paper. Cut into 16 squares with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts.

Tips, swaps and storage

Toast the pecans for 6 minutes at 180 C before chopping; the flavour is much deeper. For a more obvious caramel note, add 1 tablespoon of double cream to the filling.