Saturday Morning Baking: Pecan Bars and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Non-stick foil is a big help.

This morning has been a busy one.  Thought if I made a couple of batches of cookies they would cover this weekends activities including dessert for our dinner tomorrow.  While Mike's family is split about nuts in cookies we like them so my solution is to make chocolate chip cookies omitting nuts and for the second type try this Aida Mollenkamp Pecan Bar Recipe.  I just happened to see her cookie episode one day and thought these had potential.  I have never made any of her recipes so I hope they turn out.  It looks like a winner!

Chocolate Chip Cookies No Nuts.

Here is the link to my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2011/01/chocolate-chip-cookies-for-chris.html   The following is my adaption of the Pecan Bars.

Ingredients for Pecan Bars:

Crust Ingredients:

1/2 C. toasted and chopped pecans
6 T. cold butter diced
1 C. flour
1/4 C. packed brown sugar
1 t. kosher salt

Ingredients for the Filling:

3/4 C. packed brown sugar
1/4 C. molasses
1/3 C. light corn syrup
4 T. melted butter
1 T. dark rum
1 T. vanilla
1/2 t. kosher salt
2 large beaten eggs
1 C. toasted rough chop pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line an 8"x 8" baking pan with aluminum foil.  I used the new non-stick.  Place all of the pecans (1 1/2 C.) in the pan and toast them in the oven for 7-8 minutes.  Remove and cool.

Toasted Pecan Crust

Combine the crust ingredients in a foo0d processor and pulse until it resembles a coarse meal.  Press firmly into the foil lined pan and bake 25-30 minutes in the center of the oven.  Remove from the oven and make the filling.

Whisk all of the filling ingredients together and pour into the crust.  Return to the baking dish to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes more until browned and set.  Cool completely before removing on the foil from the dish and cutting into bars.

Slip the foil down and cut into bars.

Yield 25 1" squares.

PS:  These are a couple of rungs past awesome!!!