Ingredients
- Crust
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons ice water
- 1/2 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- Topping
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 7 ounces pecan halves
Preparation
Step 1
Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse the flour with the sugar and salt. Add the cubed butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle on the ice water and vinegar and process until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Turn the crumbs out onto a sheet of wax paper and knead just until the dough comes together. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until slightly chilled, about 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°. Line the bottom of an 8-by-8-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper (foil works fine if you're out of parchment). Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of wax paper to a 10-by-10-inch square (1/4-inch thick). Trim the dough to an 8-by-8-inch square and place it in the baking pan. Cut the remaining dough into 3/4-inch-wide strips and press them up the side of the pan to form a rim all around. Refrigerate the dough until firm, about 30 minutes.
Line the dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans (or uncooked rice).
Bake for about 20 minutes, until the dough is just set. Remove the parchment paper and weights and bake the crust for about 10 minutes longer, until lightly golden and set. Let cool.
Make the topping: In a large saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, honey, and salt, and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until foamy and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
Add the cream and cook, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer inserted in the caramel registers 240° (soft ball stage), about 10 minutes longer. (If you don't have a candy thermometer, I learned this great trick at the bakery where I work: Fill a glass with ice water, and drip a little bit of the caramel into the glass. Scoop out the caramel with your fingers, and roll it between your fingertips. If you can form it into a small, squishy ball, it's at soft ball stage. Following this trick actually enabled me to get caramel to work for the first time ever! I usually end up with rock-hard caramel.)
Add the pecans and cook for 2 minutes longer.
Pour the filling over the crust, spreading it evenly.
Bake for about 15 minutes, until the crust is golden and the topping is bubbling.
Let cool completely. Slide the parchment onto a cutting board.
Cut into bars and serve.