Guys! Notice anything different here on the blog lately? No? Look closer.
Kailley’s Kitchen is officially (and finally!) fully monetized! We’ve been working to place a few, relatively discreet ads on the site (you’ll see a couple on the right sidebar of this post as your scroll down) with the hopes of slowly generating an income, while doing our best to not interfere with the aesthetic appeal and overall design.
We’ll be experimenting a bit more with ad placement and size in the coming weeks, but I can promise you that we won’t compromise your user experience when you visit Kailley’s Kitchen. There’s nothing worse than a blog littered with so many ads that you can’t tell what’s blog content and what’s an ad, after all.
What does this mean?
Simply that, after two years of working to build quality content, hone my skills as both a baker and a photographer, and fine-tune this website, I’m finally able to turn something I love into something profitable. No, I’m not leaving my other jobs behind, and no, I don’t even expect to make tons of money doing this, but it’s incredibly humbling to know that I now have an audience base large enough to make this all worth it.
Thank you to each and every one of you for your continued support– this blog wouldn’t exist without you!
Anyway, on to what you’re really here for: the EATSSSS.
I freakin’ love pecan pie. So much so that I’d gladly forgo a lifetime of all the other pies (sorry not sorry, apple, cherry, pumpkin, Boston cream, and all the other loser pies out there) for one measly morsel of pecan pie every seven years. You might say that I’m devoted.
So, I made you pecan pie bars. I adapted the recipe from the The Silver Palate Cookbook, and by “adapted,” I mean that I bumped up the pecans and the ooey-gooey filling so that the crust-to-filling ratio is a little more to my liking (read: mo’ filling, no problems).
But obviously, mere pecan pie bars weren’t enough, so I drenched them in Holy vanilla bean and fleur de sel caramel sauce.
(DISCLAIMER: there’s no actual Holy water in said caramel sauce, but it is delicious enough to worship).
This is probably the most seductive recipe I’ve created yet. Maybe we should call it “50 Shades of Pecans Bars Dripping in Caramel?”
Vanilla Bean Caramel Pecan Bars
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (2 sticks) sweet cream butter, softened
- 12 Tablespoons (1.5 sticks) melted sweet cream butter
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I used Nielsen-Massey brand)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 5 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 4 cups shelled pecans, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9" x 12" baking pan
- Sift confectioners' sugar and flour together in a medium mixing bowl
- Cut in butter, using two knives or a pastry blender, until fine crumbs form
- Pat crust into the prepared baking pan
- Bake for 20 minutes
- Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes
- While crust is cooling, mix together melted butter, honey, vanilla extract, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until fully incorporated
- Add heavy cream and mix
- Fold in pecans, taking care to make sure that they are as evenly coated as possible
- Spread pecan mixture over crust, using a spatula to move it into edges
- Bake for 27-30 minutes
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting into squares (it may look slightly under-done, but this is okay-- it will continue to bake through and set as it cools)
- Drizzle each square with bit of vanilla bean and fleur de sel caramel just before serving
- Serve bars at room temperature; bars can be stored in an air-tight container and frozen for up to 3 months
Pam Gleichman says
WOW! These look SO fabulous!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Pam! I’m so, so happy with how they turned out!
Melanie | Melanie Makes says
These look absolutely mouth watering, Kailley!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thank you, Melanie!! I’m trying to off-load as many of them as I can on friends and family– I have NO self-control as far as these bars are concerned 😉
sue/the view from great island says
First, your photos are amazing, and second, i would so much rather have these bars than a big old pecan pie. And third, yay for monetizing!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Sue!
Kristen says
These bars look soooo good. Amazing!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
Thanks, Kristen! I’m embarrassed to admit that I ate AT LEAST half the batch all by myself 😉
Lily says
If making these the night before, should i make and apply the sauce then or wait until the morning of? Also should they be kept in the fridge? thank you!
Kailley @ Kailley's Kitchen says
I’d recommended drizzling them in caramel right before you’re ready to serve them, and yes, I’d recommend refrigerating them overnight! Enjoy! 🙂