Penuche Pecan Bars
Source: Maida Heatter's Brand-New Book of Great Cookies (Random House, 1995 ed.), pg. 64.
"Penuche" is the name of a brown sugar fudge. These bars are wonderfully chewy, although they contain no butter or oil.
Makes 32 bars.
4 large eggs
1 lb. (2 1/2 packed cups) light brown sugar
1 3/4 cups sifted unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lb. (4 1/2 cups) pecan halves
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350. Use the center rack.
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Line a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan with foil. Butter the pan by placing a small dot of butter on the foil, place in a warm oven for a few minutes, remove and brush the butter over the foil (you can also use a piece of crumpled plastic wrap). |
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| Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. |
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| In the top part of a double boiler, slightly beat the eggs. |
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| Stir in the sugar with a rubber spatula (press with the spatula if there are lumps). |
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| Place over hot water (in the bottom part of the double boiler). Cook for 20 minutes over moderate heat, stirring occasionally and scraping the sides of the bowl. After cooking, stir in the vanilla. |
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| Pour the mixture over the pecans and stir. |
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| Add the flour mixture and stir. |
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| Turn into the prepared pan and spread. |
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| Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out slightly wet, almost but not completely dry. |
Let stand until cool.
Invert the pan onto a rack or board. Carefully remove the foil. Invert again onto a rack or small board (it needs to fit inside your refrigerator).
Refrigerate for an hour or overnight. Use a long, serrated knife and cut the cookies into bars (the size is up to you).
The bars can be individually wrapped or stored in an airtight container.
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