Bourbon Pecan Bars

By Texaschef11

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 3 tablespoons bourbon
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces (about 2 cups) coarsely chopped pecans

Preparation

Step 1

Make crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil. In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg; pulse just until a dough forms.

Transfer dough to prepared pan; with floured fingers and/or an offset spatula, press firmly into bottom of the pan in a single, uniform layer. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Prick bottom of dough; bake until lightly golden, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool while preparing filling.

Make the filling: In a large saucepan, bring butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly, until smooth; continue boiling, without stirring, until slightly darkened, about 2 minutes.
Remove pan from heat. Whisk in cream and salt; mix in pecans.

Assemble and bake: Spoon hot filling evenly over crust, using spoon to arrange and press in nuts so they fit snugly (create as flat a surface as possible).
Bake until bubbling and amber-colored, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

Using foil, lift cake from pan; peel off foil. With a sharp knife, trim edges (if desired). Cut crosswise into 8 even strips; cut each strip into 6 even rectangles to make 48 bars.