Chocolate Pecan Shortbread Bars
Author: 
Serves: 9
 
Ingredients
  • For the crust:
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup margarine
  • For the pecan topping:
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 4 tbsp margarine
  • 2 tbsp almond milk
  • 2 cups pecan halves, broken in thirds
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp chocolate extract, or more vanilla
  • Chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. For the crust:
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Combine flour, brown sugar, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt, in medium bowl. Cut margarine up in tablespoon segments. Use hands to incorporate margarine and flour.
  4. Once combined, press into greased 9 inch square pan.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes.
  6. Allow to cool.
  7. For the pecan topping:
  8. Combine brown sugar, sugar, maple syrup, margarine and almond milk in pan and bring to a boil.
  9. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer sugar mixture for 5 minutes.
  10. Remove from heat and mix in pecans, vanilla extract and chocolate extract.
  11. Pour on top of crust and press pecans lightly. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and press in to pecan mixture.
  12. Place in refrigerator and chill overnight, or until firm.
Recipe by The Emotional Baker at https://theemotionalbaker.com/chocolate-pecan-shortbread-bars/