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The Best Pecan Squares (or Triangles) and a Tea Party

by Jennifer

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MeAndMyTea #CollectiveBias

One of the things I always looked forward to as Christmas approached when I was a girl was homemade Christmas cookies. My mom would bake lots of different kinds and keep them in the freezer so when we wanted dessert we could pull out a selection of them and have a little cookie smorgasbord. In the past couple of years I’ve scaled back the cookie making because it just felt like too much – both my daughters’ birthdays are about two weeks before Christmas and there is so much baking and planning that goes along with that, I’m usually kind of baked out in the weeks leading up to Christmas. But there are a few favorites that I make every year and chewy pecan squares (or triangles, because that’s how I like to cut them!) might be my top-of-the-list favorite. They are insanely delicious. And really, really easy to make. So for many reasons, I deem them the best pecan squares around.

The best pecan squares - rich, buttery, delicious, and a cinch to make!

So easy, that I decided to bring my little girls into the mix this year. They really love helping out in the kitchen and I’ve realized recently that they’re both pretty capable of actually helping now. You know, not the “Suuuuuure, you can help” kind of help where you know it’s just going to make more work for you, but actual help that moves things along quicker. Plus, I think it’s a great life skill that they’re getting early exposure to. I also wanted to turn the baking date into a time we could spend together without interruption – especially in the busy-ness of December around here, it’s extra hard to find these kinds of moments together.

I picked up some of my girls’ favorite tea, Bigelow Constant Comment (think winter spices with a hint of orange, soooo good), at Walmart to turn our cookie baking date into a little tea party.

chewy pecan squares-7

If there is a phrase that elicits more excitement from little girls than “tea party,” I don’t know what it is. My girls were thrilled. I put Ada in charge of the topping – she chopped four whole cups of pecans using a nut chopper and then measured and stirred the rest of the ingredients over the stove.

chewy pecan squares-2

Ellie worked on the crust. She’s only just turned five and still needs help with what the measurements mean but she can scoop and level dry ingredients like a pro. I coached her through the steps but she really did the work herself, including pressing the crust into the pan.

chewy pecan squares-1

After the cookies came out of the oven, we made some Constant Comment (decaf) tea, stirred in a bit of sugar, and sat at the counter together eating cookies and drinking tea. The rich, buttery cookies were a perfect match with the gently spiced Constant Comment tea and we ate and drank every bite and sip in front of us!

The best pecan squares - rich, buttery, delicious, and a cinch to make!

It really was a sweet little moment for me in the midst of so much activity with two birthdays and Christmas all the same month.

chewy pecan squares-6

And the cookies? Well, they are just to die for. Kind of like pecan pie but better.

The best pecan squares - rich, buttery, delicious, and a cinch to make!

The buttery crust, the caramely, chewy, nutty topping – it’s just the perfect mix of everything. We may even make a second batch this week, the first one has gone so fast! And who knows, maybe we’ll turn it into another tea party.

Chewy Pecan Squares...or Triangles
 
Save Print
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
50 mins
Total time
1 hour 5 mins
 
Drop dead delicious chewy pecan squares - a little bit cookie, a little bit candy, and a whole lot of buttery, rich goodness!
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 24 squares
Ingredients
  • CRUST
  • 1¾ c. flour
  • ⅔ c. powdered sugar
  • ¼ c. cornstarch
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¾ c. unsalted butter, cold, diced
  • TOPPING
  • 1¼ c. brown sugar
  • ½ c. light corn syrup
  • ¼ c. unsalted butter
  • 4 c. coarsely chopped pecans
  • ½ c. cream
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350º. Line a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick foil, leaving about 1" of overhang.
  2. Blend the flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and process until the mixture clumps together. Pour into the baking pan and press evenly. Bake until the crust is light golden, about 25 minutes. Lower the oven heat to 325º.
  3. Meanwhile stir the brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture boils. Add the pecans and cream and boil until it thickens slightly. Stir in the vanilla and pour over the baked crust.
  4. Return the cookies to the oven and bake until the caramel is darker and bubbles thickly, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool completely. Use the foil to lift the cookies out and cut into squares, then into triangles, if desired.
3.3.3077

 


Filed Under: Desserts

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Comments

  1. Cassie Bustamante says

    at

    ok these look ridiculous! and look at the three of you all so adorable! i want to come bake with you. or eat with you- you guys bake and i will eat.

    • Jennifer@TheChroniclesofHome says

      at

      They ARE ridiculous. So so soooooo good :) And yes, you come over and we will bake you cookies. You will probably need to bring that gold sequined top along too so I can try it on though ;)

  2. JanetGoingCrazy says

    at

    What a precious memory that these girls will have of helping you in the kitchen and having a tea party with you. I have chills! Makes me wish I had a girl, too. [client]

    • Jennifer@TheChroniclesofHome says

      at

      Thanks, Janet :) It is so hard to find these moments together but I’m so glad I made it happen!






Meet Jen

I'm a design and DIY lover, decorator, modern home-maker, foodie, fashion enthusiast, and jill-of-all-trades when it comes to home improvement. I'm slowly but surely adding classic-contemporary style to my early 90's colonial home one inch at a time and I'm taking you along for the ride.

It's often messy - there are usually project remnants and toys strewn about - but the making of a home isn't always tidy work and I love showing you how you can make and style and organize your way to a home and a life you love!

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