Maple Pecan Pie Shortbread Bars
Pecan pie plus shortbread - what's not to love? The buttery shortbread base is topped with a gooey maple and golden syrup layer, laden with crunchy pecans.
Servings: 16 bars
Calories: 351kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Shortbread Base:
- 170 g unsalted butter
- 80 g caster sugar white or golden
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 175 g plain/all-purpose flour
- 15 g cornstarch cornflour in the UK
Pecan Filling:
- 115 g unsalted butter
- 100 g light brown soft sugar
- 150 g golden syrup
- 30 g maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream e.g. double cream
- 2 eggs
- 200 g pecans coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Shortbread Base:
- Pre-heat oven: 180°C / 160°C (Fan) / Gas Mark 4 / 350°F
- Mix shortbread base ingredients together, creaming together the butter, vanilla and sugar then adding in the flour.
- Line a 9inch square tin with greaseproof paper and press the dough into the base of the tin, making sure to press firmly until you get an even layer. You can use your hands or the back of a large spoon.
- Use a fork to prod a few rows of shallow holes in the base to help cook evenly, then bake for 20-25mins until golden.
Pecan Filling:
- While the base bakes, melt the butter and sugar in the microwave for 30-60secs and beat together. The mixture should be warm but not boiling.
- Add in the syrups and mix well until fully combined. You should have a thick syrupy liquid at this stage.
- Beat the eggs until fluffy and add to the syrup mixture, beating in slowly.
- Add in the cream, vanilla, salt and chopped pecans, stirring together until fully combined and spread throughout.
- Once the base has baked, pour the filling onto this and bake for a further 25-30mins until the filling has caramelised and just set in the middle.
- Allow the bars to cool in the tin to firm up further before cutting into slices.
Notes
- The cornstarch used in this recipe is a white fine flour, not a yellow coarse flour. However, sometimes this is called cornflour and the yellow version is called cornstarch, e.g. in the US, so be sure to pick the white one!
- For thick layers, you can swap the 9-inch tin for an 8-inch square tin instead.
Nutrition
Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 86mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 509IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg