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Maple Shortbread Bars

Recipe from Phyllis Méras and Linda Glick Conway

Adapted by Regina Schrambling

Maple Shortbread Bars
Peter DaSilva for The New York Times
Total Time
55 minutes
Rating
4(747)
Comments
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Shortly after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Regina Schrambling wrote of the healing power of cooking. “The food is not really the thing,” she said. “It's the making of it that gets you through a bad time.” This recipe, adapted from "The New Carryout Cuisine" by Phyllis Méras with Linda Glick Conway, was one she turned to in the trying days that followed. A mere two steps, and ready in less than an hour, it’s comfort in a pan, just as good for when the darkness creeps up as it is for those days when you just need a bit more. And to those who might scoff at the two sticks of butter? Consider taking Schrambling’s words to heart: “Abstemiousness,” she wrote, “is not an option when you're feeling low.” —Regina Schrambling

Featured in: When the Path to Serenity Wends Past the Stove

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Ingredients

Yield:39 bars

    For the Crust

    • 2cups flour
    • ½cup sugar
    • ½teaspoon salt
    • 2sticks unsalted butter, chilled

    For the Filling

    • 1½cups packed brown sugar
    • ⅔cup real maple syrup
    • 2eggs
    • 4tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
    • 1teaspoon vanilla
    • 1teaspoon maple extract
    • ½teaspoon salt
    • 2cups coarsely chopped pecans
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (39 servings)

173 calories; 10 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 67 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. For crust, combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Cut butter into slices, and cut in with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is crumbly. Press into bottom and half an inch up the sides of a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Cool on rack.

  2. Step 2

    For filling, combine all ingredients except pecans, and mix until smooth. Pour into cooled crust. Distribute nuts evenly over top. Bake 30 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool on a rack before cutting.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
747 user ratings
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Comments

Linda

I've made this three times - the most critical step, in my opinion, is cooking the crust long enough and then letting it cool. The BEST results I had were when I baked the crust but didn't get back to the filling and final bake until the next day.

Didn't use any extract other than the vanilla - but for my next batch some bourbon is sounding enticing!

Linda

OH! I cubed my butter and froze for a couple hours - then pulsed in the food processor with the flour, sugar, and salt mixture - about 20 times. PERFECT!

Anne

Delicious! Almost like a pecan pie cookie. I cooked a little over the 30 minutes suggested, but only 5-7 extra. Basically until I could shake the pan and the middle didn't wobble much. Perfect!

SConnors

One of the most delicious things I've ever tasted! Follow the suggestions of other commenters for extra time in cooking the base and extra time cooking with the topping.

Rachel

Any suggestion for a nut allergy? Can you just skip the pecans or is there a nut safe sub?

Butterscotch

Try roasting some pumpkin seeds until they get a nice toasty flavor. Then chop them up coarsely and use as a substitute for the pecans in this recipe. Roasted whole sunflower seeds could also work--or a combination of pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

Tauna

So good! First time I made it exactly as written..delicious. Next time, meant to stick with the recipe, but I was low on pecans and maple syrup. I was undaunted, however! My variation: 2 parts chopped pecans, 1 part chopped almonds. Used 1 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup maple syrup and 1/3 cup Lyle's Golden Syrup--a mellow kind of sweet. Both batches got raves from family! Thanks for this keeper.

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Credits

Adapted from ''The New Carryout Cuisine'' by Phyllis Méras with Linda Glick Conway (Houghton Mifflin, 1986)

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