Hot Toddy Pecan Bars

Directions

Orange Shortbread Crust:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line an 8X8 baking pan with aluminum foil. In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, orange zest and salt to combine.  Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg; pulse just until dough forms. Transfer dough to prepared pan; with floured fingers and press the dough into the bottom of the pan in a single uniform layer. Place the pan into the freezer until firm, about 15 minutes. Remove from freezer and prick the bottom of the dough with a fork or toothpick. Then bake for 22 to 25 minutes.

Whiskey Pecan Filling:

In a large saucepan, bring butter, brown sugar and corn syrup to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly until smooth. Continue boiling without stirring until lightly darkened, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in cream, whiskey and salt. Then stir in pecans.

To assemble and bake: Spoon hot filling evenly over crust, using spoon to arrange and press in nuts so they fit snugly (create as flat a surface as possible). Bake until bubbling and amber colored, 18-22 minutes.  Cool completely in pan.

Using foil, lift bars from pan; peel off foil.  Cut crosswise into 4 even strips; cut each strip into even rectangles to make 12-16 bars. For bite-size portions, cut into 32 two inch cubes.

Optional Candied Orange Curl garnish:

In a medium saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.  Add zest of 1 orange (peeled into long strips with a vegetable peeler); simmer, swirling occasionally, until zest is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a plate. Dredge zest in sugar and thinly slice.