Pecan Squares

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 2/3 cups cake flour

Filling Ingredients

  • 2 cups (4 sticks) butter
  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 7 1/2 cups pecan pieces (just under 2 pounds)

Chock full of pecans and caramel, these nutty bites are a great halftime treat!

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat for 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour, scraping the bowl occasionally. Mix until the flour is just incorporated and dough begins to come together.

Remove the dough from the bowl and slightly press into a flattened ball. Wrap in plastic and chill dough for 2 to 3 hours and up to 1 day. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper into a rectangle about 17 inches x 12 inches x 1/8 inch thick. Press the dough into a 15 x 10 inch jellyroll pan (also known as a half-sheet pan). Prick the dough all over with the tines of a fork to prevent it from bubbling during baking. Bake for about 12 minutes, until firm, but with almost no change in color. Let cool while you make the filling (recipe follows).

Filling Directions:

In a heavy saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, honey, and cream and stir over medium heat until the butter is melted. Then turn the heat up to high and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the pecan pieces. Pour into the prebaked crust and bake in a 350-degree oven until the filling is bubbling evenly all over the surface and the crust is golden brown.

Let cool completely before cutting into small squares.