Pecan Bars - America's Test Kitchen Recipe

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Pecan Bars - America's Test Kitchen
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Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Toast all of the pecans first. Put all them (in a single layer) on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 5 - 10 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. Give them a shake every few minutes and watch closely; they can go from toasted to burnt very quickly. Let cool.
  2. While that's going on, melt your butter so that it can cool adequately for the filling.
  3. For the crust: Line an 8-inch square pan with foil (two large sheets going opposite direction), then coat lightly with oil spray.
  4. Process flour, brown sugar, pecans, salt and baking powder in a food processor until it resembles coarse cornmeal, about 5 pulses. sprinkle the butter over the top. Pulse until the mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse oatmeal, about 8 pulses.
  5. (If you don't have a food processor, take 1/4 Celsius toasted pecans and chop them very, very finely. The toasting makes them very easy to chop into a meal or near-meal. I used a butchers knife on a wooden board. Mix them with the rest of the crust's dry ingredients, and then cut in the butter with a pastry blender.)
  6. Put the crust mixture in the prepared pan. Press firmly into an even crust with your fingers. Bake until it starts to brown, 20 - 24 minutes.
  7. For the filling: As soon as the crust finishes baking, whisk together the brown ssugar, corn syrup, melted butter, bourbon/rum, vanilla and salt just until combined. Whisk in the egg until incoporated, then pour over the hot crust. Sprinkle the pecans over the top.
  8. Bake until top is brown and cracks start to form (Note: I never saw cracks on mine. I took them out when it was started to brown up and I didn't see goop on a toothpick.)
  9. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hrs., before removing from the pan using the foil as lifters.
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Nutrition Facts

Per ServingPer 100 g
Amount Per 1 Serving
Calories 1501.57 Kcal (6287 kJ)
Calories from fat 1060.74 Kcal
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 117.86g 181%
Cholesterol 122.83mg 41%
Sodium 927.13mg 39%
Potassium 663.23mg 14%
Total Carbs 107.83g 36%
Sugars 71.52g 286%
Dietary Fiber 11.59g 46%
Protein 16.94g 34%
Vitamin C 1.2mg 2%
Vitamin A 0.4mg 12%
Iron 4.6mg 26%
Calcium 161.7mg 16%
Amount Per 100 g
Calories 528.54 Kcal (2213 kJ)
Calories from fat 373.37 Kcal
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 41.49g 181%
Cholesterol 43.23mg 41%
Sodium 326.34mg 39%
Potassium 233.45mg 14%
Total Carbs 37.95g 36%
Sugars 25.17g 286%
Dietary Fiber 4.08g 46%
Protein 5.96g 34%
Vitamin C 0.4mg 2%
Vitamin A 0.1mg 12%
Iron 1.6mg 26%
Calcium 56.9mg 16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Find out how many calories should you eat.

Tastes

  • salty
  • savory
  • bitter
  • sweet
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Recipe Tags

Weightwatchers Points

  • 39.1
    Points
  • 43
    PointsPlus

Good Points

  • saturated fat free,
  • good source of fiber

Bad Points

  • High in Sodium,
  • High in Sugar,
  • High in Total Fat

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