Mary Ann Dames, M.S., R.D.

Today we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. I read that his favorite food was pecan pie. I also read that his favorite food was fried chicken, collards greens, corn bread, etc. Anything southern seems to be have been his favorite, depending on which web site I read. Since I had most of the fixin’ for pecan pie but am not much of a pie baker, I created these cookies as being more kid friendly. Smaller portions, too. Yes, I know pecan pie usually has corn syrup but I didn’t have any so substituted honey and sugar. It has a bit of a different flavor but the Pecan Pie Bar Cookies are almost all gone in less than 3 hours.

Visit Lori Calabrese's Nonfiction Monday for books in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.Day.

Pecan Pie Bar Cookies

Crust Ingredients
½ cup butter at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 egg yolk
1 cup all purpose flour

Filling Ingredients
¼ cup butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x9-inch square pan; set aside.

For the crust: Cream together the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add the milk and egg yolk, mixing until smooth. Add the flour, mixing until just blended. Press into the prepared square pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until just starting to turn golden. Remove from oven and let cool.

Turn oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Prepare filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the ¼ cup butter, brown, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and honey. Bring to a boil; boil for 3 minutes. Remove pan from the heat. Stir in the milk, being careful as the sugar mixture will bubble up even more. Add the chopped pecans. Pour over the crust; quickly spread with a spatula. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes; center should be bubbling.

Cool and cut into 1 ½ inch squares.

Makes 36 squares.

© Mary Ann Dames, MS, RD 2010