Butter, pecans and brown sugar: The words alone can make your mouth water. It’s no wonder cookies that combine them are always popular. This little bar is a good example; with a taste reminiscent of butterscotch and a soft, chewy, close-to-gooey, texture, it’s hard to resist. And it’s almost effortless to prepare, requiring only two bowls, a whisk, spatula and a few minutes of active time.
Though the dark rum is optional, I highly recommend including it; the additional level of flavor contributes a lot to the cookie’s taste. If you don’t use it, increase the vanilla by another teaspoon. To save time, purchase pecans that have already been roasted and chopped (I get mine at Trader Joe’s). If you can’t find them, roast three-fourths of a cup of pecans as you preheat the oven, let them cool, and then chop them medium-fine.
Why do I specify baking these bars in a shiny metal pan? Because a shiny metal pan reflects the heat it gets from the oven and conducts it evenly. This allows the dough to bake in a uniform manner, making it less likely the cookies will burn or be underdone in spots. Dark metal pans absorb the oven’s heat, so dough baked in them cooks faster and, sometimes, more unevenly. If you must use a dark metal pan, reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees and reverse the position of the pan on the oven rack halfway through baking.
Butter pecan bars
Total time: 60 minutes
Works at any elevation. Make in an 8-by-8-inch shiny metal baking pan.
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, spoon and level
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 packed cup lump-free dark brown sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
2 teaspoons dark rum, optional
Generous ¾ cup roasted and chopped pecans
Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center position. Line your baking pan with nonstick aluminum foil or regular aluminum foil, extending it several inches on two opposing sides to use as handles when removing the baked slab of cookies from the pan. Grease any exposed parts of the pan and the regular foil with a baking spray that contains flour. Set the pan aside.
Combine flour and salt: Add the flour and salt to a small bowl or two-cup measure, and whisk to combine them well. Set this aside.
Make batter: Cut the butter into 16 pieces, add them to a microwave-safe mixing bowl, heat at medium-low temperature in a microwave oven until melted, and then remove from the oven. (Alternately, melt the butter in a small saucepan on the stovetop and transfer it to a mixing bowl.) Whisk in the brown sugar until thoroughly blended. Add the egg, whisk until combined and then whisk in the vanilla and rum. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture, stopping as soon as all dry ingredients are absorbed, and then fold in half of the chopped pecans until they’re evenly distributed in the dough.
Bake: Scrape the dough into the prepared pan, smooth and level the top, and sprinkle the remaining pecans and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar over it. Bake until the top is set but still soft and pliable and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs, about 20 minutes. Don’t overbake, or the cookies will be dry and hard.
Cool, serve or store: Move the pan to a rack to cool. If the edges have risen while baking, gently push them down with the back of a spoon, so the top is level. Let the slab cool completely before using the foil handles to remove it from the pan. Cut it into squares and serve, or store in the fridge for up to 3 days. The slab can be wrapped airtight and frozen for a month.
This recipe is a variation of one published by Martha Stewart.
Vera Dawson is a high-elevation baking instructor and author of three high-altitude cookbooks (available at Garcia Street Books in Santa Fe). Contact her at veradawson1@gmail.com.
The Santa Fe New Mexican observes its 175th anniversary with a series highlighting some of the major stories and figures that have appeared in the paper's pages through its history. The collection also includes archival photo galleries.
