• Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact
Menu

Rivka Friedman

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number

Your Custom Text Here

Rivka Friedman

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact

Bourbon Pecan Bars

November 14, 2011 Rivka
DSC_0205
DSC_0205

People, it's Thanksgiving time. Turkey and mashed potatoes and yams galore, brussels sprouts and cranberry sauce, and of course, you can never have enough pie.

Except you know what? I'll beg to differ. I'm a pie lover like the best of 'em, but at a certain point, I need a break. I want a crumble, a crisp, perhaps some bars. Thanksgiving may be about tradition, but it needn't resist a change of pace, right?

Look, we can split the difference. These pecan bars are basically pecan pie, in rectangle form. They have crust, they have gooey chewy topping. Did I mention they have bourbon? You will like them. Your guests will love them. And if you want to push things over the top, dunk'em in chocolate. That'll bring the swoons. No one will miss pecan pie. And if they do? Well, there's always apple, and pumpkin, pumpkin-caramel, and apple-cranberry, and...

DSC_0200
DSC_0200

With the big day under a month away, I know you're all on the hunt for the best Thanksgiving recipes. As it turns out, we're off to the in-laws, so I won't be cooking. Don't worry, though - I won't be leaving you stranded. Y'all know there's that crazy part of me that can't bear the thought of missing Thanksgiving prep - it's a weird sort of FOMO reserved for food bloggers. So here I am, with not an ounce of turkey to cook and not a pie to bake, still coming at you with recipes and menus to make your holiday memorable. First up are these bourbon pecan bars. But I've got more up my sleeve, so stay tuned.

Bourbon Pecan Barsadapted from Martha Stewart Makes 48 bars*

*Note: Martha says this recipe makes 24 bars. She has you bake them in an 8x8. But I tend to like a thinner bar, with a texture more like shortbread, so I spread the recipe out in a 9x13. If you like thicker bars, bake in an 8x8 or double the recipe.

1 1/2 cups flour 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter 1 egg

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar 1/4 cup light corn syrup 3 tablespoons bourbon 1/4 cup heavy cream 1/4 teaspoon salt 8 ounces (about 2 cups) coarsely chopped pecans

Make crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil. In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg; pulse just until a dough forms.

Transfer dough to prepared pan; with floured fingers and/or an offset spatula, press firmly into bottom of the pan in a single, uniform layer. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Prick bottom of dough; bake until lightly golden, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool while preparing filling.

Make the filling: In a large saucepan, bring butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly, until smooth; continue boiling, without stirring, until slightly darkened, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Whisk in cream, bourbon, and salt; mix in pecans.

Assemble and bake: Spoon hot filling evenly over crust, using spoon to arrange and press in nuts so they fit snugly (create as flat a surface as possible). Bake until bubbling and amber-colored, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

Using foil, lift cake from pan; peel off foil. With a sharp knife, trim edges (if desired). Cut crosswise into 8 even strips; cut each strip into 6 even rectangles to make 48 bars.

In cookies and bars, dessert, thanksgiving
← Brussels Sprouts with Caraway SeedsKale Salad with Avocado Dressing →

Subscribe by email:

  • books (1)
  • crisps and crumbles (1)
  • frozen (1)
  • toys (2)
  • gifts (3)
  • egg whites (5)
  • fried (5)
  • how to use--- (6)
  • drinks (10)
  • menus (11)
  • travel (11)
  • fish (12)
  • kosher for passover (14)
  • thanksgiving (14)
  • vegan (20)
  • snacks (21)
  • techniques (21)
  • soup (26)
  • bread (28)
  • pies and tarts (28)
  • cake (33)
  • events (34)
  • condiments (36)
  • various and sundry (39)
  • uncategorized (42)
  • cookies and bars (46)
  • weekday lunch (47)
  • appetizers (48)
  • salad (51)
  • gluten-free (56)
  • comfort food (61)
  • breakfast and brunch (77)
  • sides (81)
  • dessert (90)
  • main dishes (100)
  • healthy (139)
  • easy (155)
  • vegetarian (180)

| LATEST |

Featured
Blue Chair Fruit's Black Raspberry Jam
Thai Grapefruit Salad
Mango Sticky Rice
Winter 2016: Odds and Ends
Povitica: The Best Babka Ever
Persimmon Walnut Bread
Sprout Chaat Salad + New Site!
Maple Walnut Squares
How to Give Thanks
Croissants (really, I made croissants) + other croissant-ish things

| hEALTHY |

Featured
Sprout Chaat Salad + New Site!
Fennel frond pesto + what to do with those pesky stalks
Asparagus Toasts with Pistachios and Mint
Eggplant-Walnut Pâté + Passover Ideas
1-DSC_0861-600x401.jpg
Lentils and Rice with Tamarind Sauce and Dukkah
Big Kale Salad with Pomegranate and Feta
Punchy Crunchy Ginger Salad

| BreakfAST |

Featured
Povitica: The Best Babka Ever
Croissants (really, I made croissants) + other croissant-ish things
Mushroom and Kale Breakfast Strata
Barley Porridge with Orange and Black Sesame
Ramps 'n' Eggs Biscuit Sandwiches
Asparagus Toasts with Pistachios and Mint
Apple-Cheddar Scones with Sage
Menemen - Turkish Eggs with Tomatoes and Peppers
You must select a collection to display.

© 2016 Rivka Friedman. All Rights Reserved.