Baking with the Bean: Pecan Turtle Bars

My little sister made these yummy bars for my family this weekend, and she took some pictures so I could share the recipe with you today! My sister has been called 'the bean' ever since she was in my mom's stomach and the nickname has stuck, so whenever I mention her on here, I will refer to her as The Bean! :) Well, she made these bars and they are to die for!! They are such a fun little treat to have after dinner!

We found this recipe at Recipes, Food & Cooking & you can find the original recipe HERE.

Start by mixing together 1/3 cup of softened butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1 1/2 cups of flour in a medium sized mixing bowl. This will serve as the crust of the bars.

The original recipe recommends using a 9x9'' pan but we used an 8x11'' pan and it worked out just fine! So which ever you choose to use, butter the pan and press the crust into the bottom of it. Then, bake the crust for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Put 2/3 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of brown sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once the mixture boils, stir it constantly for 3 minutes.

 

When the crust comes out of the oven, pour this caramel mixture over the top of the crust.

The sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of chopped pecans over the top of the caramel mixture. Put the pan back in the oven (still at 350 F) and back the bars for 20-23 minutes until the caramel is bubbling around the pecans.

When the bars are out of the oven, set them aside for a few minutes, then sprinkle 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips over the top. Let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes then using a knife, spread the chocolate around over the tops of the bars.

Once the pan is cool enough to handle, place the bars in the fridge to solidify the chocolate a little faster. Wait until the bars are completely cool before cutting them.

PECAN TURTLE BARS
ingredients
 for the crust...
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened

for the pecan/caramel filling...
1 1/2 cups pecan, chopped
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

for the topping...
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

directions
1. Mix together butter, brown sugar and flour in a medium sized mixing bowl.
2. Butter the bottom of a 9x9" or 8x11" pan and press the crust into the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Put butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once the mixture boils, stir it constantly for 3 minutes.
4. Pour this caramel mixture over the top of the crust.
5. The sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top of the caramel mixture. Put the pan back in the oven (still at 350 F) and back the bars for 20-23 minutes until the caramel is bubbling around the pecans.
6. When the bars are out of the oven, set them aside for a few minutes, then sprinkle semi-sweet chocolate chips over the top. Let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes then using a knife, spread the chocolate around over the tops of the bars.
7. Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting and serving them.

Let me know if you have any questions!