Pecan Slices
Pecans, a caramel-esque filling, and a buttery base all combined into one. Who could possibly say no to that? Probably people who don’t like nuts, but they can’t be trusted in the first place, so it doesn’t matter. These little slices of nutty heaven are a perfect simple treat to make for any occasion: after-dinner desserts or portable picnic perfections. Any time can be pecan slice time.
History check
Unlike some more mainstream baked goods, pecan slices do not appear to have a clearly documented history. At least, there is no single, convenient source titled “A Complete History of Pecan Slices.”
Note: Due to a lack of official documentation, the following text is hearsay and conjecture.
What I have learned is that pecan slices seem to have been adapted from pecan pie. The pie itself is rooted in the Southern United States and dates back to the 19th century. Pecan slices are meant to taste similar but offer a more portable alternative to their pie counterparts. This is part of an unnamed American trend of transforming traditional desserts into convenient, practical, and shareable treats. This trend emerged during the second half of the 20th century, shaped by a combination of cultural movements in the United States.
The first of these was the postwar domestic era, spanning the late 1940s to the 1960s. In the years following World War II, home life became an important focus in American culture, with greater emphasis on family meals and entertaining guests. Classic desserts like pecan pie were reimagined in simpler, more practical forms to suit this lifestyle (hint hint nudge nudge: Peacan slices). These adaptations of pies and cakes made desserts easier to prepare and serve, aligning with the rise of casual, home-based hospitality.
Image courtesy of Auckland Museum, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY).
Next came the period from the 1950s to the 1970s, marked by the rise of convenience foods. With a growing consumer economy, food companies began promoting their products through pre-packaged mixes, such as cake mixes from Betty Crocker, and ingredients like Karo syrup, offering reliable, easy-to-follow recipes. This helped popularise quick, convenient desserts, including the rise of dessert bars, which required less effort than traditional bakes while still delivering the same rich, familiar flavours.
Finally, the mid-century American community culture also had a role to play. Social gatherings at schools, churches, and local events became a central part of everyday life. These occasions called for food that could be easily transported, portioned, and shared among large groups. Portable desserts like slices and bars met this need, which is why this format became especially popular in community cookbooks and church recipe collections.
And so emerged a trend of transforming traditional recipes into handheld treats that could be enjoyed almost anywhere and everywhere, from bake sales to church socials to cult gatherings. Anywhere with pecan slices, or other treats and delights, is the place to be.
Explanations
- Always the prep: Get your ingredients at the ready, turn on your oven to 190°C, and grease that pan (28 x 18 cm tin)!
- The foundation / Base: Get both flours and mix them together. You may sift them if you see fit, but it won’t ruin your attempt at baking if you do not. Grab your butter, which has preferably been diced, and rub it into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. You can do this by hand or with an electric mixer. With the mixer, just dump the cubed butter into the flour and turn it to a medium speed until you get your breadcrumbs. If you are using your hands (preferably washed before you start baking), dump the butter into the flour and ensure that the cubes are covered in flour. Next, you want to rub the flour into the butter with your fingertips, just the tips and not the palms, or you will melt the butter and that is a no-no. You want everything to stay cold because otherwise the butter melts and you will get paste and not breadcrumbs. Continue rubbing in between your fingertips until you get the desired breadcrumb texture. Add the slightly beaten egg to the mix, combine all until you have a dough, and you will have the base of the slices.
- Setting the foundation: You have multiple ways of doing this. Some might ultimately be more successful than others. What I do, mostly out of laziness, is just tear out chunks of the dough and squish them into the tin until I have an even layer, then use an implement to roll the dough into the tin even more. My implement of choice was a circular biscuit cutter, but a glass or something of the like would work just fine. Sadly, this method may lead to cracks forming, but it shouldn’t be much of an issue with the topping.
- First bake: Place the tin on the middle shelf of the oven that has been preheated to 190°C and let it cook for 15 minutes. That’s it. You may do step 5 while the base cooks.
- Topping time: While the base is in the oven, combine the topping butter, sugar, and syrup in a saucepan. On a low heat, melt them together until everything is combined. Remove the saucepan from the heat and mix in the slightly beaten egg and flour into the pan, stirring continuously until everything is smooth. Set aside for the time being.
- Uniting: Once the base has finished cooking, remove it from the oven. Spread the pecans over it in an even layer, it doesn’t have to be perfectly even, there just has to be no obvious gaps between the nuts. Pour the topping over the nuts, making sure to get into all the corners and that most of the nuts are covered.
- Second bake: Return the tin to the middle shelf of the oven and bake for another 15 minutes at 190°C. Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave it to cool completely in the tin. Don’t try and get it out until it has become cold to the touch.
- Serve it up: Once it is cold, carefully remove it from the tin. You can do this by scraping a knife around the edges, then place a board over the tin and flip it over. Hopefully, it will come out right away and in one piece. If it doesn’t, give it a bit of a jiggle or flip it over and scrape the edges again. When you finally get it out, you can cut it into slices. I cut once lengthwise and then slice it into 9 strips, giving me a total of 18 slices. And there you have your pecan slices to enjoy and not share with anyone.
Recipe
Template
Course: Dessert, SnacksCuisine: American18
servings20
minutes30
minutes50
minutesButtery, crumbly, and unapologetically indulgent, pecan slices are the perfect portable treat. A delicious base is paired with a rich, caramelised pecan topping, making them the perfect treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
- Base
¾ cup plain flour
¼ cup self-raising flour
90g butter (cold)
1 egg
180g pecan nuts
- Topping
60g butter
⅓ cup golden syrup
¼ cup brown sugar
1 egg
2tbsp self-raising flour
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C and grease a 28 x 18 cm lamington tin.
- Combine the flours and rub in the butter until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add the lightly beaten egg and mix to a soft dough (this can be made using a food processor).
- Press dough evenly over the base of the greased tin.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Make the topping by melting the butter, sugar, and golden syrup in a pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the lightly beaten egg and flour. Stir until smooth.
- Remove the base from the oven once cooked. Top evenly with pecans. Pour the topping over the nuts.
- Bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave until it becomes cold in the tin.
- Cut into slices and enjoy. 🙂
