Kahlua Praline Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup butter or margarine
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
Filling
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 1/4 cup butter-flavored shortening
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup Kahlua liqueur
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Frosting
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
- 1 tablespoon Kahlua liqueur
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk or cream
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8- or 9-inch-square pan with parchment, letting two opposite ends hang slightly over sides of pan.
- Crust: In large bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, butter and pecans; mix well. Pat into bottom of prepared pan.
- Filling: In saucepan, melt chocolate, shortening and butter.
- Remove from heat; stir until smooth and slightly cooled.
- Beat in sugars and vanilla extract.
- Beat in eggs, one at a time.
- Stir in Kahlua, flour and salt.
- Add pecans.
- Pour over crust.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until fudgy. Do not over-bake.
- Let cool.
- Frosting: Beat together butter, Kahlua, confectioners' sugar and milk. Add more Kahlua if necessary to achieve spreading consistency.
- Frost cooled cake (either in the pan, or lifted out by the parchment paper handles).
- Let frosting set; slice into bars.
- Refrigerate.
Yield: about 30
Nutrition facts per bar: 184 calories, 10 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 27 mg cholesterol, 22 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 28 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
Source: America's Hometown Cookbook (11th edition of the Iowa State Fair cookbook) - recipe by Nancy Gabriel, Johnston, Iowa, First Place, 2001 Cookies, Bar Cookies, Three Layer Bars
