Unassuming, but pecan-pie satisfying. "Ooh, these are good," said Doug, skeptical about whether he would like the latest experiment. I can hardly blame him. Some of my cookies have been worthy of the calories, and some have been a bust. Doughy bottom layer requires serious spreading into all corners of the pan. The first surprise with this recipe is the dough consistency for the bottom layer of the bars. I expected the standard shortbread mixture that crumbles into the pan and needs patting down before baking, like the lemon bars I often make (my standard of comparison for bar cookies). But you don't cut the butter in, as for a pastry. Instead, you beat the ingredients into a doughy blob and spread it out with a firm spatula to cover the parchment lining in the pan. I was concerned this would become a hard rock, without the light crunch of shortbread. Not to worry. The second surprise was the new taste and texture of the topping. It starts with the same eggs...
I began this blog when my mother was ill and needed enough of my attention that I could not concentrate on longer-form works I wanted to write. I set those aside to distract myself with cookie-making and this blog. Please find my new blog (2020) entitled "Time NOT Lost" at karenbrattesani.blogspot.com, where I explore the behavior I see around me -- both my own and that of others -- and what it says about our changing culture during the coronavirus pandemic. And, I hope, beyond.