Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Bars

Have you ever seen an easier way to prepare and serve pecan pie? We snuck in a little bourbon and some chocolate, making these the perfect sweet bite to serve at your Derby party!

For the crust
3/4 pound unsalted butter (3 sticks), at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup corn syrup
4 eggs
1 Tablespoon bourbon
2 cups chopped pecans
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°

In a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar on high speed for three minutes. And the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the batter with the mixer on low speed until just combined.

The dough will be very sticky. Sprinkle the dough and your hands lightly with flour and press it down into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake 15-20 minutes until the crust is set but not browned. Allow to cool completely.

To make the filling, combine brown sugar, flour, and salt into a large bowl and whisk until combined. Add in corn syrup, eggs, and bourbon and mix well. Stir and pecans and chocolate. Spread filling mixture evenly over the crust. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the filling is set when the pan is slightly jiggled. Cool bars completely for 45 minutes to 1 hour before slicing.