here is a recipe for a wonderful pecan bar that has a shortbread texture. it comes from the art of breakfast cookbook. it is perfect for afternoon tea or coffee, but can also be served as a nice dessert with vanilla ice cream. we enjoyed these for Easter dinner dessert.
this recipe will make one 13 by 9 by 2 inch ceramic baking dish. these pecan shortbread bars are crumbly and delicious.
to make the bars: preheat the oven to 300 degrees. cream together 2 sticks room temperature unsalted butter with 1/3 cup granulated sugar. gradually stir in 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and finally 2 cups of finely chopped pecans. i used my Cuisinart mini prep machine.
press the mixture into the ceramic baking dish. i treated the pan with Pam spray butter. bake the dish for 30 minutes until lightly browned. remove from the oven and cool for 3 to 5 minutes, and then cut the bars into squares. let them fully cool in the pan before trying to remove. at this point, they are too crumbly to remove.
once cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar on top. i decorated the bars with whole pecan halves while the bars were still hot.
enjoy these pecan bars for a great snack, a brunch, or even a holiday dessert served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
angel food garden 