Caramel Pecan Squares
I wrote recently about the annual Christmas baking exchange that my sister co-ordinates every year. Well today is my baking day-I say day because I don’t plan on doing anything else because something can always (and often does) go astray. One year when I had this brilliant idea to make Dream cookies (otherwise known as Imperial or Diplomat cookies) I got a migraine and spent the day in bed instead.
I’ve decided on Caramel Pecan Squares. I’ve never made them so I warn you that this is an untested recipe but if you’re interested here goes: Combine 1 c flour, 1 c finely chopped pecans, ¾ c rolled outs, 2/3 c brown sugar, ½ t salt and ½ t salt together in large bowl. Then cut a ½ c butter into mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add one beaten egg and stir well. Press evenly into a a greased 9 x 13” pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10 mins. Sprinkle 3 cups of white mini marshmallows (Julie Child would roll over in her grave). Drizzle 2/3 c of caramel ice cream topping over marshmallows. Sprinkle with another 1 1/3 c of chopped pecans. Bake again for 20 mins. until golden brown. Let stand on wire rack until cooled completely. Cut with hot/wet knife to prevent sticking. Cuts into 54 squares so I’ll be making 2+ batches: for the exchange, extra to take to a class that I’m enrolled in and some to share with my grown up kids for their entertaining.
The recipe is from Jean Pare’s Company’s Coming Special Occasion Series entitled “Baking, Simple to Sensational”. I kind of evolved as a cook as Jean Pare evolved as a cookbook writer. In one of her first cookbooks (entitled Salads) there was a recipe for Caesar salad which was (I’m paraphrasing but only slightly): cut up a head of romaine lettuce and toss it with Kraft Caesar dressing, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. I am NOT kidding. Having said this, my family’s favourite Banana Muffins come from another of her early books-circa 1985. Sometimes I don’t feel like preparing the muffin tins and try to make a banana loaf instead and my family won’t have it! When my son went on a car trip of western Canada this spring he requested a dozen muffins for the road but couldn’t guarantee that they wouldn’t be consumed by Headingley. (If you are from the Winnipeg area, you would know that Headingley was once considered the first town on a western trip but today is more like a suburb of Winnipeg.
Any other closet Jean Pare fans out there?
I literrally LOL’d over this post. I am a closet Jean Pare fan. There is a much-loved brunch standby in our house. It’s the Breakfast Pull-Aparts in her “Company’s Coming for Christmas” book. I tried this one out years ago as a newlywed, and it’s been requested ever since. I have, until now, never owned up to the ridiculous ease of this recipe… I think people have no idea I start with frozen bun dough! Oh well, every cook needs a few simple oldies but goodies :) Love the blog btw
Stay tuned as I have many more dirty little cooking secrets to reveal. Glad you like it here.
Kath, these squares were unbelievebly scrumptious. I say “were” because Darrell and I ate them all. We usually keep half of the cookies for ourselves and bring the other half to work. I’m pleased to say that yours and Sue’s went straight from the plates to our mouths!
So glad you liked them Barb-they are so easy! Please feel free to send the blog address to the other exchange participants (or any of your friends for that matter).
[…] all opportunities to save energy (both personal energy and traditional energy). Batch cooking and cookie exchanges are two of my favourite ways to do this. I have been a part of a holiday cookie exchange, ever […]
These look amazing! I will have to add these to the tray at Christmas. And while to us the salad recipe is completely ridiculous, to some it’s amazing to find a recipe to actually make this at home. I taught some cooking with a lot of young moms who had no idea how to make the basics (egg salad, macaroni salad) if it didn’t come from a box and then heated up they didn’t know how to make. Some didn’t even own pots or frying pans! I wonder if in her new Salad book if the recipe is written out the same as before….
I would love to hear more about your cooking classes with young Moms because it is a vision that I have to share home-cooking and batch-cooking skills in a particular inter-city neighbourhood in Winnipeg. I have perfected a recipe that replaces “cream of mushroom soup” to make supper prep a breeze, inexpensive and nutritious. Please keep in touch kathryne@mediachef.ca.