Black Bottom Pecan Praline Bars

We had way too many commitments this past weekend.  Which always means lots of cooking and lots of transporting.  I wanted simple, easy and stuff that I could do in advance.  


I was doing my early morning blog reading, when I was inspired (yet again) from Patricia's post on these lovely bars.  I instantly made a batch before the kids woke up.  The praline mixture was the perfect balance of very, very sweet with salty.  I "accidentally" licked the spatula after I laid the praline mixture over the brownie base.  Oops!  It was a tiny morsel of perfection.  


Another plus to these perfect bars; no mixer required. Happiness all the way around!


Black bottom pecan praline bars
adapted from here
yield 16 pieces

ingredients:
brownie layer
2 oz. (56g)  unsweetened chocolate (I use valhrona)
4 Tbls. (56g) unsalted butter
1/2 cup + 1 Tbls. (112g) caster sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cold large egg
1/4 cup (35g) all purpose flour

praline layer:
1/4 cup (35g) all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
4 Tbls. (56g) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup + 2 Tbls. (70g) packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups (140g) pecans, coarsely chopped

instructions:
• preheat oven to 350* butter an 8" square pan and line the bottom with parchment, leaving an overhang.  butter the parchment.
for the brownie layer:
• place the chocolate and the butter in a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. stir frequently until smooth and the butter has melted.
• remove the bowl from the heat.  stir in the sugar, vanilla, + salt with a spatula.
• add the egg. stir in the flour and beat it until the batter is smooth, glossy, and beginning to come away from the sides of the bowl.
• spread the brownie batter in a thin layer in the bottom of the prepared pan.
for the praline layer:
• mix the flour and baking soda together, set aside
• combine the melted butter, sugar, and slat in a medium bowl. stir in the egg yolk and vanilla, then the flour mixture and finally the nuts.
• drop spoonfuls all over the top of the brownie batter ( the praline mixture will spread).
• bake until the edges and top are well browned and cracked, 20-25 minutes.
• let cool completely in pan on a rack.
• lift the ends of the parchment and transfer to a cutting board.  cut with a warm knife.