Sticky Pecan Pie Bars

These bars are a knock-off of the famed pecan pie. It is an easy version since it starts with cake mix which forms the crust of the bars. This is topped with the traditional corn syrup and brown sugar combination and lots of pecans. Recipe from The Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Yields: 24 bars

Ingredients

• Crust

• 1 (18 1/4ounce) package  yellow cake mix
• 8  tablespoons butter, melted (1 stick)
• 1  large egg

• Filling

• 3⁄4 cup dark corn syrup
• 1⁄4 cup  packed light brown sugar
• 2  large eggs
• 1  teaspoon pure vanilla extract or 1  tablespoon Bourbon
• 1 1⁄2 cups  chopped pecans or 1 1⁄2 cups pecan halves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set aside an ungreased 13- x 9-inch baking pan.
2. Place the cake mix, melted butter and egg in a large mxing bowl. blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 2 minutes. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl several times. The batter should come together in a thick dough. Using your fingertips, press the crust mixture evenly over the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan, smoothing it out. Place the pan in the oven.
3. Bake the crust until it just begins to brown, 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside. Leave oven on.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Place the corn syrup, brown sugr, eggs, and vanilla in the same mixing bowl used to prepare the crust, and with the same beaters (no need to wash) blend with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined, 1 minute. Stop the machine, scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula, and fold in the pecans until well distributed.
5. Pour the filling over the baked crust and spread with the spatula so that the filling covers the entire surface. Return pan to oven.
6. Bake the bars until the crust is golden brown and the filling just starts to set, 22-25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool, 30 minutes.
7. Cut into 24 bars. Remove the bars from the pan with a metal spatula and serve.
8. Bars may be frozen for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.