It is finally time to tend to my garden! I have been working on it for about 20 years now. I love to plant, it is so wonderful to watch flowers bloom and herbs flourish year after year.
I plant perennials every year in my yard. Why? Because many of them don’t come back like they are supposed to! When my garden begins to grow again, I have to take note of all the bare spots. I don’t quite understand this phenomenon. Last year our garden was lush and beautiful, yet here spring is, and I see those annoying bare spots that must be filled. Although I intentionally plant flowers that are meant to return with the good weather, I still end up spending the same amount of time and attention on my garden every year.
I really don’t mind, because I do love taking trips to the plant nursery. The one that I go to near my house is gorgeous, and I enjoy every minute I get to visit it. I just wish I knew their secrets! I will keep you updated with pictures of my garden while it is growing. I go out there every morning to check on it and marvel at how lovely and sweet smelling it becomes.
Speaking of sweet, summer is rapidly approaching, which usually means lightening up your diet a bit, but you have to give into your sweet cravings once in a while! This is the perfect recipe for transitioning into everyone’s favorite season.
The crust tastes light, yet it is rich with flavor and is the perfect home for the nutty, candied topping. The filling has just the right amount of sweetness with the combination of brown sugar and butter. The corn syrup adds that sticky, melt in your mouth perfection. Each bite is better than the last. I’ll bet you can’t eat just one. And, although the recipe calls for the flakey salt as optional, do not leave it out! It is the crown of these delicious bars. Trust me, you are missing out on something really special if you don’t indulge.
This recipe is courtesy of The Perfect Cookie, by America’s Test Kitchen. It will make 24 bars that people will be going “nuts” for!
Ingredients for Ultra nutty Pecan
Crust:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
6 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Ingredients for Topping:
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
7 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and hot
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups (1 pound) pecan halves, toasted
1/2 tsp. flake sea salt (optional)
For the crust:
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350°F.
Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil.
First sheet should be 13 inches wide, the second sheet should be 9 inches wide.
Lay the sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with the extra foil hanging over pan.
Push foil into corners and up the side of the pan, smoothing foil flush to pan.
Grease foil.
Whisk flour, sugar and salt together in bowl.
Stir in the melted butter with a wooden spoon until dough begins to form.
Using your hands, continue to combine until no dry flour remains and small portion of dough holds together when squeezed in palm of your hand.
Evenly scatter 1-tablespoon pieces of dough over surface of pan.
Using your fingertips and the palm of your hand, press and smooth dough into an even thickness in bottom of pan.
For the topping:
Whisk brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla, and salt in bowl till smooth (mixture will look separated at first but will come homogeneous), about 20 seconds.
Fold pecans into sugar mixture until nuts are evenly coated.
Pour topping over crust and spread into an even layer with spatula, pushing edges into corners. (there will be bare patches.)
Bake until topping is evenly distributed and rapidly bubbling across entire surface, 23 to 25 minutes.
Transfer pan to wire rack and sprinkle bars with sea salt, if using. Let bars cool completely in pan, about 1 1/2 hours.
Using foil overhang, remove bars from pan.
Cut into 24 pieces before serving.
Bars can be stored at room temperature for up to five days.
It’s that simple!
