Pecan Pie Squares

Crust:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off

1/4 cup corn starch

1/2 cup Confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

Filling

12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Generous pinch salt

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

3 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Cover a 9-inch square baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Push foil neatly into corners and up sides of the pan, using two pieces if necessary to ensure it overlaps all edges (the overhang will help removal from pan). Spray foiled pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place the flour, corn starch, confectioners sugar and salt in a bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal with pea-size clumps of butter within. Also can be made with a pastry cutter or two forks. Dump mixture into prepared pan and press firmly with your fingers into an even layer over the bottom. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. While the crust is in the refrigerator, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the crust until crust is set but not browned, about 17 minutes. Set on rack to cool. Leave oven on. In a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine butter, brown sugar, honey, vanilla and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat and boil gently for 3 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and chopped pecans. Pour pecan mixture over crust (it's fine if crust is still warm). Bake until filling is bubbling and caramel in color, about 20 minutes. Cool completely on rack. To cut, use the foil overhang to lift baked square out of pan and onto cutting board. Loosen the foil from the edges, then cut with a sharp knife into 2-inch squares. Store finished pecan squares in air-tight container and serve at room temperature.

Butterscotch Shortbread

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butterscotch chips, finely chopped

1/2 cup milk chocolate English toffee bits

In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, cornstarch and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in butterscotch chips and toffee bits. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until easy to handle. Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-in. fluted round cookie cutter, or roll into balls and flatten with bottom of a glass.  Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks.

Pecan Pie Cookies

1 cup packed brown sugar 

3/4 cup salted butter, softened

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Filling

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F. For cookies, beat butter and sugar on medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and mix. Reduce speed to low and add flour and baking powder. Beat until well mixed. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Make an indentation in each cookie with your thumb; rotate thumb to hollow out slightly. Combine all the filling ingredients (pecans through vanilla) in a small bowl. Fill each cookie with 1 rounded teaspoon of filling. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute on baking sheet then remove to cool completely on a wire rack or sheet of aluminum foil.