Pecan Pie Bars (& Happy New Year!!)

I made these pecan pie bars for my family Christmas Eve party, and although the holidays are over, I thought I’d share the recipe to keep the holiday cheer going.

These richly sweet morsels taste just like a traditional pecan pie, but with a slightly sweet shortbread crust. There’s something so fun about dessert bars, and it’s easier to control the portions this way. Trust me, these bars pack a sugary punch, so you won’t need much to get your fill.

And of course, who says you can’t make “holiday season-y” treats year round?

Here’s the recipe:

Pecan Pie Bars

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup cold butter

4 tbs milk

4 eggs, room temperature

2 cups chopped pecans

3/4 cup brown sugar

4 tbs melted butter

1 cup light corn syrup

2 tsp pure vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350º F and butter a 9×13 inch pan.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Then, using a pastry blender or pastry knife, cut in the cold butter and mix with your fingers or a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles.

Pour in the milk and evenly distribute the liquid.

Press the dough evenly into the greased pan and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the edges turn a golden brown.

In the mean time, we can get started on the filling. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then add the brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla and pecans. Stir with a large wooden spoon just until everything has throughly mixed.

Once the shortbread crust is done baking, pour the pecan topping over it and place the entire pan back into the oven for another 20 minutes. You’ll know the mixture is set when it no longer wiggles back and forth.

Allow the bars to cool for about a half hour, then serve warm or cold with a cup of coffee and extra cream 🙂

I hope everyone has a fantastic New Year! I, for one, LOVE NYE and plan to spend the night in a shower of glitter, music and an equally glittery dress.

xo

 

I’m Thankful for Messing up the Pumpkin Pie

In light of the recent Thanksgiving holiday, I wanted to make a short list of things I am really, deeply grateful for.

(In no particular order)

My mom and grandmother for somehow making me laugh even though I messed up our only Thanksgiving dessert this year. Thank you both for still eating it and for being so sweet.

(Psst..the crust on the bottom didn’t cook all the way, so it still looks pretty).

My amazing family. We have our ups and downs, but we all genuinely love each other and put each other’s happiness above anything else. We’re threaded together so intricately nothing could ever pull us apart.

My fiancé, Brayden. I think about how lucky I am every day. I get to be with someone who loves me unconditionally–who just makes life so much fun. He’s like a bright shining star, filling this world with vibrance and color. Two weeks after we started dating, I knew I wanted to be with him forever. No question about it. That’s the level of his awesomeness.

Books and podcasts. They refresh my ideas, knowledge and ways of thinking. They encourage me to keep questioning what’s happened in the past, what’s going on right now, and what might occur in the future. They teach me to keep my mind and heart open.

Current favorite books: Shanghai Girls and Dreams of Joy

Current favorite podcasts: Intersection and Reply All

My education: for opening up my world in ways I never imagined possible.

My freedom. I’ve thought about this one quite a lot lately, especially amidst so much oppression within the refugee crises and across the world. We may take for granted the little freedoms we have every day, but if I lost any of them, I feel like I might go crazy. Where I live, I am able to speak my mind, protest what I do not believe in, or change jobs and move to a new place (theoretically). I can choose who to love and who to marry (and when). I can build my own life the way I want to build it, and I do not have to fear for my life the moment I step out the door. So many people around the world lack these liberties, and to be able to sympathize with and understand others, I try my best to be grateful for the freedoms we’re able to enjoy.

This beautiful earth. Let’s do everything we can to protect it.

And of course, every single person who reads and supports this blog. You give meaning and life to something that means a great deal to me.

Thank you.