Featured Recipe
Buttery Pecan Blondies
By Kate
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Dense butter base with brown and coconut sugars. Eggs folded for lift, flour binds. Toasted pecans bring crunch; vanilla soothes bitterness. Baked low and slow for chewy edges and tender center. Lightly golden top with faint jiggle signals done. Cool fully or face crumbly cuts. Swap walnuts or toasted almonds if pecans short. Coconut sugar adds caramel notes, replace with light brown for plain sweetness. Use metal pan, dark pans burn edges. Watch texture, not just time—when edges firm but center quivers, pull from oven. Rest kept room temp in airtight box for days.
"
Prep:
20 min
Cook:
50 min
Total:
Serves:
24 servings
desserts
baking
pecans
bars
Introduction
Butter melts down, sugars blend dark and deep. Eggs beaten well pull everything together but don’t overdo or it toughens. Flour provides backbone, not bulk. Toast those pecans—think warm nuts, smell hints of pine and earth. Bake low and slow, watch edges golden, center jiggle signals doneness. Cut cold or messy crumb town. Switch up vanilla with almond—adds unexpected note. Coconut sugar adds caramel whispers in chew. Timing changes, yes, oven quirks matter. Pan choice too. Chill crumbs? Nah, room temp holds better. Got no pecans? Toast walnuts instead. Life’s too short for dry. Watch texture tightly. This is how you master chewy bars without cake. Trust your senses, not blindly clocks.
Ingredients
About the ingredients
Melt unsalted butter gently—too hot scrambles eggs; too cool leaves sugar gritty. Dark brown sugar adds moisture and depth; coconut sugar optional for caramel hint but drier texture, balance by tweaking bake time or adding fat. Eggs beaten separately for better integration. Pecans toasted to amplify natural oils, replace with walnuts for softer crunch or almonds for snap. Vanilla extract can be almond extract for complexity; salt added balances sweet and enhances nut flavors. Flour measured accurately, sifted to avoid lumps or heavy bars. Mini chocolate chips optional but add surprise texture and sweet bursts. Nonstick spray crucial on metal pan; glass or ceramic pans shift time and finish—adjust accordingly.
Method
Prep
- Preheat oven 295°F. Use light metal pan 13x9 sprayed well with nonstick. Dark pans scorch fast, skip.
- Toast pecans in dry skillet, medium heat, tossing until fragrant, 3-5 mins. Cool before mixing.
- Whisk melted butter with both sugars thoroughly. No sugar lumps allowed—texture suffers. Add eggs, stir vigorously until glossy. Fold in sifted flour and salt, blend until no streaks visible, no overmixing or batter toughens.
- Stir in toasted pecans, vanilla swap almond, optional mini chips for unexpected bursts.
- Pour batter evenly in pan. Tap pan gently on counter to settle air bubbles—no leapfrogs.
- Bake 45 to 55 minutes but rely mainly on texture: edges golden brown and set, center wiggles slightly under finger press but doesn’t collapse.
- Don’t rush. Overbake, and chewiness turns cakey. Underbake, gooey and falls apart.
- Crucial: cool completely in pan on wire rack. Warm is fragile, slices crumble.
- Slice using serrated knife with gentle sawing motions.
- Store airtight at room temp. Refrigeration risks drying out and hardening.
- Freeze for months—wrap tight, thaw before slicing.
- Butter temp matters. Too hot spills egg curdles; too cool clumps sugar.
- To save if pecans missing, swap with toasted walnuts or almonds, not raw nuts—you lose flavor.
- Overly sweet? Cut sugar by 10%, balance rich butter.
- Dark brown sugar for molasses flavor; coconut sugar adds subtle caramel and chew. Replace but one sugar at a time to keep moisture balance.
- Watch batter thickness: thick means flour over measured, add splash milk or cream to loosen slowly.
- Use light pan for even bake; if you only have dark, reduce oven by 10-15 degrees.
- When cutting, warm knife, wipe between cuts—prevents crumbling and sticky edges.
Mix
Bake
Cool & Store
Tips
Technique Tips
Preheat oven low at 295°F—temperature control key. Light colored metal pans promote even cooking; dark pans brown edges prematurely. Toast nuts 3-5 minutes until aromatic but not burnt; oil release changes flavor profile and crunch. Mix melted butter and sugars completely; avoid lumps or sugar pockets, whisk by hand not electric speed—improves texture. Slowly add beaten eggs to ensure proper emulsification. Fold flour and salt carefully, no overmixing keeps chew not cakey. Add nuts and flavor last for even distribution. Pour even layer in pan, tap to remove air bubbles, helping smooth crust and bake. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, center jiggle and edges set means done—avoid toothpick test which can mislead. Cool fully in pan on rack before slicing with serrated knife; warm bars crumble easily. Store airtight at room temp for soft chew, refrigerate only if unavoidable—risk dryness. Use warm knife, wipe blade between slices to maintain clean cuts.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Temperature control matters; melt butter gently. Too hot will scramble eggs. Too cool won't mix sugar. Toast nuts for max flavor. Must smell strongly of woodsy goodness.
- 💡 Stop whisking once no sugar lumps. Too much mixing toughens batter. Follow: melted butter, sugars, eggs; then flour and salt. Fold in nuts last to avoid lumps.
- 💡 Bake at 295°F only—low and slow is key. Edges should look set, golden brown without burnt spots; center wiggle signals doneness. Use your eyes and touch.
- 💡 Slicing warm bars leads to crumbly disaster. Let cool completely on rack. Use serrated knife—gentle sawing motions keep edges clean. Try warming knife for easy cuts.
- 💡 Coconut sugar? Adds caramel depth, but swap with light brown sugar if preferred. Balancing moisture is crucial, adjust both sugars as needed; don't overthink it.
Kitchen Wisdom
How long to cool before slicing?
Completely cool in pan. Warm bars crumble—wait at least 30 minutes or more. Use wire rack to aid cooling process.
Can I use different nuts?
Sure, walnuts or toasted almonds work. Don’t use raw; flavor suffers. Toasting brings out oils that intensify nut taste.
Too sweet?
Reduce sugar by 10 percent. Easy fix. Adjust down sugar gradually; keep butter richness balanced. Flavor works better that way.
Storage tips?
Best kept at room temp. Airtight container necessary to maintain moisture. Freezing? Wrap well, will last months. Thaw before cutting.
