Ingredients

• 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 (1 ml) teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 (1 ml) teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (80 grams) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (95 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (20 ml) lightly beaten egg
• 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) vanilla
• Topping:
• 3/4 cups (150 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons (40 grams) unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) salt
• 1 cup (114 grams) pecans, toasted cooled, and coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Line an 8 inch square metal pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray.

2. Stir flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl.. Beat in egg and vanilla, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

3. Press dough into bottom of pan and chill for about 20 minutes (I used wet hands to press…it helped).

4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. When dough is chilled, bake it for about 15 minutes or until edges are golden. Let it cool on a rack while you make the pecan topping.

5. Cook sugar in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted to a deep golden caramel. Tilt pan and carefully pour in cream (caramel will harden and steam vigorously). Since this is a small batch, you’ll need to watch a little closer for burning at this point. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla, salt, and pecans.

6. Quickly spread topping over cooled crust and bake until bubbling, about 13 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack (Mine were cool enough to cut in 1 hour, but they firmed up considerably after I’d cut them). Grasp foil, lift bars from pan and cut into triangles or squares. I cut mine into 9 squares then cut those squares to make 18 triangles.

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