Vacation and Pecan Gooey Bars

(See the ice cream melting, that was less than 20 seconds outside)

It's been a little while since I posted last and that's because I spent last week on the amazing Island of Edisto. It's a tiny island about 45 minutes south of Charleston with only a Piggly Wiggly and one gas station. We've been going there for seven years now, usually in August. We had a gorgeous house that was literally a 1 minute walk to the beach, a walk we made two and three times a day! We had an amazing time, the only draw back-- it was possibly hotter than the surface of the sun!




I don't know where you are right now, but anywhere south of Maryland has been hotter than blue blazes this summer. I thought it was bad in Virginia, then we took our trip done to South Carolina and I thought I was going to roast right on the beach. Don't get me wrong, the ocean was the perfect temperature and it was only cloudy ONE day while we were there. But the minute you stepped outside, sweat beads clung to you, your clothes felt damp and sticky, and there was no amount of water that would quench your thirst. It was a love/hate relationship between the weather and I. I loved it because I was able to get a pretty nice tan, but I hated it because I was having to change my clothes 3-4 times a day!

Needless to say, a lot of my time was spent 'staying in our house baking while the rest of the family went biking or back to the beach. While I was there I made pecan gooey bars, key lime pie, and peach crumb bars. They were all amazing. However, while relaxing I completely forgot to take pictures of the pie and the peach bars. So all you're getting today is the Pecan Gooey Bars. I found them on Sweetapolita and was a little hesitant about the gooey factor. I mean, I love that brown sugar goo as much as the next person, but I wasn't sure I wanted my bars falling apart. So when I baked them I added a couple more minutes onto the time so they could firm up a little more, it worked perfectly! Everyone was in love with both the flavor and texture. A scoop of ice cream was the perfect addition. I wanted a chocolate drizzle (of course!), but I forgot the chocolate at home :( I was devastated for about a minute and then I took a bite of the bar and was instantly in love sans chocolate, it was a MIRACLE.

Pecan Gooey Bars (adapted from Sweetapolita)

2 cups AP flour
1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, cold

6 Tbsp butter, melted
6 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups brown sugar
6 Tbsp AP flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9x13" pan with cooking spray.

2. For the crust, combine the flour, sugar and cut the butter into the mix with a pastry cutter until it resembles corn meal. Pour the mix into the baking dish and press it in evenly. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.

3. For the topping, combine the brown sugar and the melted butter with a spatula. Add the beaten eggs and mix slightly. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the pecans and mix until fully incorporated. Fold in the pecans and pour into the crust.

4. Bake for 30 minutes or until a nice golden crust has formed on the top and the batter is no longer jiggly. Let cool on rack and then cut into squares and serve with ice cream.

Jackson on the beach!!