When you’ve got your hands full with cleaning, you don’t have time for a full-on dessert stop. But these pecan bars will tempt you and “hit the spot,” in addition to making an incredible snack-pack treat when you’re on the go. Scrumptious brown sugar and chocolate are ooey, gooey, and satisfying, and they’re the perfect reward for a day of hard work.

　　

Ingredients

makes 36 squares

　　

CRUST

2 cups all-purpose flour

　　1 teaspoon table salt

　　1/4 teaspoon baking powder

　　1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

　　1/2 cup light-brown sugar

　　1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

　　

FILLING

1 1/2 packed cups light-brown sugar

　　1/2 cup light corn syrup

　　2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

　　1 tablespoon bourbon

　　1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

　　3/4 teaspoon table salt

　　2 large eggs, lightly beaten

　　2 cups pecans, toasted, roughly chopped

　　1 cup mini–chocolate chips

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

　　

Step 2

Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving 2 inches of overhang to use as handles to remove the bars at the end of baking.

　　

Step 3

Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl. Cream together the butter and light-brown sugar, using a hand mixer, in a separate, large bowl, until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually pour in the dry mixture, and beat until the dough looks like coarse, pea-sized lumps. Use your hands to form the dough into a ball, then transfer it to your prepared baking pan and press down evenly to fill the pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden.

　　

Step 4

To make the filling: Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, flour, bourbon, vanilla, salt, eggs, pecans, and chocolate chips in a large bowl. Remove the hot half-baked dough from the oven, and spread the filling over the crust. Return the pan to the oven, and bake for another 25 minutes, or until the top is puffed and brown and cracks begin to form (like a pecan-pie topping). Let cool for 45 minutes before slicing into squares.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook by Pat and Gina Nelly. Copyright © 2011 by Pat and Gina Nelly with Anna Volkwein. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Pat and Gina Neely are restaurateurs, best-selling authors, popular speakers, and hosts of the Food Network hit series Down Home with the Neelys. They recently opened their first New York City restaurant, Neely's Barbecue Parlor. They live with their daughters in Memphis, where they enjoy cooking at home with family and friends.Ann Volkwein is a best-selling food and lifestyle author based in New York City and Austin, Texas. Her previous books include: The Arthur Avenue Cookbook, Chinatown New York, Mixt Greens (with Andrew Swallow), and, with Guy Fieri: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; More Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; and Guy Fieri Food.