Pecan Squares

This week is Christmas Cookie Week featuring recipes from myrecipes.com.

In today's show Food Editor, Holly Grainger, discusses how to prepare and make Pecan Squares.

If you like the taste of pecan pie, you'll love this easy alternative. Serve the squares with vanilla ice cream for an over-the-top dessert.





Highlights

• If you like the taste of pecan pie but want to make something easy and handheld, try these pecan bar cookies.
• The bar cookies are baked in a 9x13 baking pan so you make a crispy cookie crust (similar to a pie crust) using flour, powdered sugar, and butter. Bring brown sugar, honey, butter, cream and pecans to a boil, pour over the crust and bake—so easy!

Having trouble? Click here to listen to the interview.


Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar 
• 3/4 cup butter, softened 
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 
• 1/2 cup honey 
• 2/3 cup butter 
• 3 tablespoons whipping cream 
• 3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Preparation:

Sift together 2 cups flour and 2/3 cup powdered sugar. Cut in 3/4 cup softened butter using a pastry blender or fork just until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pat mixture on bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool.

Bring brown sugar, honey, 2/3 cup butter, and whipping cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in pecans, and pour hot filling into prepared crust.

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Cool completely before cutting into 2-inch squares.

Judy Russell, Birmingham, Alabama Southern Living NOVEMBER 2004