Simple Maple Pecan Sticky Bars Ingredients

Get that oven preheated to 350°F. Ya can't bake in a cold oven, an’ it sure saves time to do it before ya stir up whatever ya plan on poppin’ in it! The clue is in the word PREHEAT!

Sticky Bars Crust…
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (leave it on the counter an hour to let it get soft.)
1/4 cup sugar
1 lg. egg yolk, (No, I didn't say whole egg….look again!)
1 -1/2 cup all purpose flour, (all purpose means pre-sifted for you beginners.)
1/8 tsp. salt (our grannies called it a pinch in their day.)

Butter a 9x9x2-inch metal cake pan real good.
You can use your cheater, (electric mixer) to whip up the butter, sugar, and egg yolk in a nice sized bowl.
Add flour and salt, and stir by hand until ya get moist clumps.
Now, gather up this dough ya just created, an’ press it into the bottom of that 9X9 inch cake pan. Push it up the sides about a 1/2 inch too.
Bake recipe crust ‘til light brown, (about 20 minutes.) Then let it cool.

Sticky Bars Filling:
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (is there any other kind?)
1/3 cup light brown sugar (packed down so ya get more in the measurin’ cup.)
1/4 cup whippin’ cream
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter (here we go again with unsalted butter. Doesn't anyone use a little extra salt these days?)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 -1/2 cups pecans (chop ‘em up coarsely, not fine…Ya wanna taste ‘em, an’ feel the crunch when ya bite down on ‘em, right?)

Put the first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring it to rollin’ boil, then, stir ‘til the butter gets melted, an’ looks real smooth. Boil it about 30 seconds after the butter melts. Take it off the stove, (an’ don't forget to turn off the burner!)
Now, mix in the vanilla, an’ nuts.
Pour this hot filling right into the cooled crust ya made earlier.
Bake simple maple pecan sticky bars at 350 F. ‘til the filling bubbles in the center. Should take about 15 minutes.

Take ‘em out when they are finished bakin’.

Don't get in a big hurry, an’ try cuttin’ into these sticky bars before ya let ‘em get real cool in the pan by slappin’ ‘em on top of a cooling rack so they get air underneath too. Should take ‘bout an’ hour.

When these simple sticky bars are ready to cut after cooling, the filling will be firm.

(These simple maple pecan sticky bars can be made 3 days ahead if ya keep ‘em covered, an’ in the refer.)