with love

So I have this friend – R. And I love him so, so much. R lost his mom last week, after a long and unpleasant battle with a chronic illness.

I’ve been talking to R a lot over the past few weeks, as things seemed to be escalating, and the prognosis was not good.  Hearing him on the other end of the line, unable to really console him or do much of anything other than listen,  I had one of those moments of complete and utter helplessness. I hung up and thought, I have to do something. I need to do something. But what? R has a lovely wife and lots of family and friends who are as crazy about him as I am.

So, of course, I turned to food. R is one of my biggest fans, particularly when it comes to sweets. And when it comes to sweets, the richer, more buttery, more chocolate-y, the better.

And then I suddenly remembered. The pecan bars. His favorites.

chocolate tipped pecan bars

I hadn’t made them in over a decade, as they were from a book that I gave away long ago – only to realize shortly thereafter that it contained R’s pecan bars. I tried to find the book, but this was over 10 years ago, when it was not so easy to find what you needed on-line. I eventually gave up and forgot about it. And the bars too.

But now? Nothing else would do, and I knew that these bars were as close to a “make it all better” as I was going to get with my sweet friend.

As luck would have it, I found the exact recipe on-line in almost no time (I somehow remembered that the recipe was called “Chocolate Tipped Pecan Bars” – most use the word “Dipped”. I don’t know how I remembered that but I’m glad I did).

I got right to work and could feel my spirits lifting as the familiar smells of butter, chocolate and sugar filled my kitchen. It was like welcoming an old friend back from a long trip.

These bars are small and thin but devilishly good, like a tiny little pecan pie dipped – I mean tipped – in melted chocolate.

chocolate tipped pecan bars

And so, after a long hug – and some more tears – I handed R the box. He didn’t even have to ask; he knew exactly what was inside.

What he didn’t know was that they were filled with even more love than ever.

Actually, he probably knew that too.

Can you relate to this? Have you ever cooked or baked for someone you love who needed some cheering up? What are some of your favorites to share?

chocolate tipped pecan bars

on weighing ingredients
my favorite baking tips and tricks

Chocolate Tipped Pecan Bars
adapted from The International Cookie Cookbook

For the shortbread:
3/4 c. (105 g.) flour
1 T.  sugar
1/8 t. salt
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 – 1 ½ T. half-and-half

For the pecan topping:
1 ½ c. chopped pecans
1/3 c. (5 1/3 T.) unsalted butter
½ c. (100 g.) packed light brown sugar
2 T. honey
2 T. granulated sugar
1 T. half-and-half
1 ½ t. vanilla extract

For the chocolate glaze:
3 oz. semisweet chocolate (chopped or chips)
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 T. + 1 t. vegetable shortening
2 t. honey

Pre-heat oven to 350. Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with a parchment sling.

Prepare the shortbread: in a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. Add butter and cut into dry ingredients using a pastry blender, forks or your fingers, till the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1 T. half-and-half and toss till well distributed and dough just begins to come together. Add more half-and-half  if necessary, 1 t. at a time, until a dough forms, but do not over moisten (to use a food processor: combine all ingredients except the half-and-half – pulse a few times till combined. Add half-and-half as above, starting with 1 T. and adding more only if necessary, pulsing to combine).

Turn dough into prepared pan and press evenly (I use a small angled spatula to assist). Bake for 12 minutes, remove from oven and set aside.

Prepare the pecan topping: place pecans on a small baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes, or just till fragrant. Remove from oven and set aside. Place butter in a medium saucepan and melt over medium heat. When melted, stir in honey and both sugars and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Add the pecans, half-and-half and vanilla; stir until well combined. Spread mixture evenly over the shortbread.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until topping is bubbly. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack. While the dough is still warm, cut into 16 squares. Using a spatula, transfer squares to a cutting board and cut into 32 rectangles. Place bars back on the wire rack and set the rack over a baking sheet lined with waxed or parchment paper

Prepare the glaze: combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring occasionally. When glaze is completely melted remove from heat. Working quickly, dip one end of each bar into glaze and place on the wire rack to set (about 1 hour).

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for one week, or in the freezer for several months.

(print this recipe)


This delicious recipe brought to you by Sheri Silver
https://sherisilver.com/2013/03/18/with-love/

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10 Comments

  1. Christa the BabbyMama on March 18, 2013 at 1:35 pm

    Seriously, when there’s nothing you can do, food is the way to go. People in grief need to eat – and something like this can tempt them to do so.



    • sherisilver on March 18, 2013 at 5:05 pm

      I’m the worst in these situations – I never know what to day. Food = love. xo



  2. Jillian in Italy on March 18, 2013 at 5:33 pm

    I have done the same thing many times for friends going through a hard time. I think giving something handmade with love really shows people you care and are thinking of them.

    And just as a side note, I’m so making these next week-end and eating at least 10 in one go.



    • sherisilver on March 18, 2013 at 8:28 pm

      Thanks Jillian – couldn’t agree more. And I could eat 10 of these too! 🙂



  3. Tanya on March 18, 2013 at 6:05 pm

    I have no doubt these are delicious! Even more lovely is the thought you put behind them in getting them to your friend, Sheri. Thanks for sharing this.:-)



    • sherisilver on March 18, 2013 at 8:29 pm

      Thanks so much Tanya! xo



  4. Ellen Monheit on March 24, 2013 at 5:35 pm

    What a beautiful heartfelt thing to do! Brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for sharing!



    • sherisilver on March 24, 2013 at 6:32 pm

      Oh thank you Ellen! 🙂



  5. angela king on April 5, 2013 at 5:27 pm

    oh my these look heavenly. the perfect recipe to cheer someone up!



    • sherisilver on April 5, 2013 at 6:43 pm

      Thank you – they did! 🙂



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Hi! I'm Sheri!

Welcome to my little corner of the web where you’ll find easy, delicious recipes, the best kitchen hacks and simple tips for turning your home into a clean haven that is free of toxins. So glad you’re here!