Halfway Healthy Pecan Bars     November, 2015.

You might think I’m crazy to bake a pecan bar that is somewhat healthy. Think again, after you read the list of ingredients. Consider baking for your next Thanksgiving dinner! You don’t have to tell them it has quite a few healthy ingredients.

When I bake these, I cut them into small pieces. I feel a little less guilty when I add a dollop of whipped cream (oops on the half-way healthy) or a side of dark chocolate chunks on the plate (oops again).

 
You’ll find this recipe on pages 60 and 61 of my cookbook #2, Fat Witch Bake Sale.

• Ingredients
• Crust
• ¾ cup unbleached whole wheat
    flour
• ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• â…“ cup gently packed light brown
    sugar
• 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted
    butter at room temperature
• ¼ cup finely chopped pecans
• Topping
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup organic agave syrup
• â…“ cup brown rice syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 ¾ cups coarsely chopped pecans

• Directions
• Grease a 9” square baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
• Dust with flour and tap out the excess.
• Preheat the oven to 350 ℉.
• For the crust
• In a large bowl, using a fork, combine the flours, baking powder, and sugar.
• Add the butter and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined.
• The mixture should be coarse crumbs.
• Stir in the finely chopped pecans.
• With your clean fingers, press the dough in the prepared baking pan.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until the top is golden.
• Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.
• Leave the oven on.
• For the topping
• Melt the butter in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat.
• When melted, remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, mix the agave, brown rice syrup, vanilla and salt.
• Add the butter and stir by hand until just combined.
• Add the egg and stir to combine thoroughly.
• Pour the mixture over the crust and sprinkle with the pecans.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until the topping is barely set at the center and you see small cracks on the surface.
• Remove the pan from the oven.
• Cool on a rack for at least 1 hour.
• Cut before serving and cut into squares, rectangles or triangles.