Easy Pecan Toffee Bars

Festive and Yummy and Easy Pecan Toffee Bars

Pecan Toffee Bars are one of the easiest and tastiest and most portable of cookie/dessert type treats. If you have a food processor, this recipe takes no time at all and you can make the crust and the filling without washing out the bowl, which saves time and mess. They are good plain, but if you want to give them a little extra pizzazz, drizzle them with rapid zigzags of dark chocolate and white chocolate glazes.

One nice thing about this sweet is that none of the ingredients contain high fructose corn syrup, as unlikely as it may be. Another nice thing is that they can be made in a large rimmed cookie sheet or in a jelly roll pan. Just remember that the thicker they are (in a smaller pan) the longer they take to bake, but just by a couple of minutes.

Easy Pecan Toffee Bars

Oven 350F

Combine in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade:
1 1/2 c flour
1/3 c powdered sugar

Add:
1 1/2 sticks butter, cut in pieces
Process to coarse crumb texture.
Press into rimmed cookie sheet and bake until golden, 15-20 minutes. Be careful not to overbake.

Meanwhile, reassemble the food processor bowl and blade, and lightly chop:
1 1/2 c whole pecans

Add:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz Heath toffee bits

Pulse a few times until the ingredients are mixed together.

When the crust has finished prebaking, take it out and pour the filling onto the crust, gently spreading it all the way to the rim of the pan. Bake until golden, 20-23 minutes. Cool to room temperature or refrigerate before cutting.

For a fancier look, melt 1/4 c chocolate chips, stir until smooth, and pour into a sandwich-size baggie. Snip a tiny bit off one corner of the bag, and squeeze out a drizzle of chocolate over the pecan bars. Do the same thing with 1/4 cup of white chocolate chips. You can make designs or Jackson Pollock squiggles, whatever your heart desires. Be sure to briefly freeze the bars after the chocolate glaze, so it sets and doesn’t smear when you cut or transport it.

I’ve just made some this afternoon and they go so well with a good cuppa coffee. Keep them in a sealed container in the refrigerator (use waxed paper between layers if you stack them) for up to a week. They also freeze well.