Maple Pecan Squares From Vicki Delany

I got this recipe from Food & Drink magazine many years ago and it soon became a favorite here at Chez Vicki. I’ve had cooks making some version of these in many of my books, but I’ve never shared the recipe at Mystery Lovers Kitchen before. I had the opportunity to make them again when the clan gathered from far and wide for my mom’s 100^th birthday party in August.

These are very sweet (that maple syrup!) and sticky and nutty so be warned! But totally delicious. Better – in my humble opinion – than pecan pie. And easier too.

The recipe appears in the fifth Tea by the Sea book, Trouble is Brewing, and was featured in Tea Time magazine (in a slightly modified form) in August. Family Feuds and Fatal Secrets Unfold in Trouble Is Brewing by Vicki Delany - TeaTime Magazine

Shortbread base
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
¼ cup coarsely chopped pecans
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

Topping
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp fine salt
1 large egg
1¾ cups coarsely chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF

2. Grease and line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper so that it hangs over the sides.

3. For base, pulse flour, brown sugar, pecans, salt, baking powder and cinnamon in a food processor to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture is crumbly. Press mixture into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, until it just browns around the edges. Cool

4. For topping, whisk melted butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and egg until smooth. Stir in chopped pecans and pour over shortbread base. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until bubbling around the edges. Cool completely before slicing.

The base:

The topping:

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Now Available: Trouble is Brewing, the 5^th Tea by the Sea mystery from Kensington.