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Maple Pecan Butter Squares
Dessert

Maple Pecan Butter Squares

Credit: myDinnerPlan

These maple‑sweetened pecan bars deliver a buttery, chewy interior with a lightly crisp edge. Using simple pantry staples, they come together quickly and bake in under half an hour, making them ideal for a snack or a modest dessert.

40 mins 1 batch of 16
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 Egg
  • ½ cup Unsalted Butter
  • 1 pinch Kosher Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
  • ¾ cup Light Brown Sugar
  • ¼ cup Maple Syrup
  • ¾ cup Pecans

Directions

  1. Mise en place: Pack the light brown sugar. Chop the pecans.
  2. Set out all ingredients—half‑cup butter, three‑quarters cup brown sugar, quarter cup maple syrup, one egg, a teaspoon vanilla extract, one cup all‑purpose flour, half‑teaspoon baking powder, quarter‑teaspoon salt, three‑quarters cup pecans, and a pinch of flaky salt—plus parchment paper for the pan.
  3. Turn the oven on to 350 °F and while it warms, line an 8‑inch square baking dish with parchment, allowing the paper to hang over two opposite sides for easy lift‑out.
  4. Place the butter in a small saucepan, melt it over low heat, then transfer to a mixing bowl where you blend in the brown sugar and maple syrup until the mixture becomes glossy.
  5. Break the egg into the bowl, drizzle the vanilla, and whisk until the liquid is fully incorporated.
  6. Combine the flour, baking powder, and the measured salt in a separate container, then gently fold this dry blend into the wet mixture, stirring just enough to erase any flour pockets.
  7. Toss the pecans—previously toasted if you like—into the batter and fold them evenly throughout.
  8. Spread the batter across the parchment‑lined pan, smoothing the top, and if you wish, scatter a tiny pinch of flaky salt over the surface.
  9. Slide the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 22 to 26 minutes, watching for the edges to turn a light golden hue and a tester inserted in the center to emerge with a few moist crumbs.
  10. Let the bars rest in the pan for at least 20 minutes, then use the parchment overhang to lift the whole slab onto a cutting board and slice into sixteen equal squares.