“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” — Audrey Hepburn
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
This week we celebrated holding on to each other for 50 years! We also celebrated 25 years of celebrating with dear friends who got married the very same day and year… it doesn’t get much better than that, we are truly blessed!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
This week’s recipe has nothing to do with our anniversary, but I did make these bars to celebrate our family all getting together for the first time since the pandemic lockdown. The recipe came from Beth Dooley at the StarTribune. The flavors are intended to replicate the flavors of traditional Kentucky Derby pie… but both easier to make and easier to eat.
KENTUCKY DERBY BARS
CRUST
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
- 1/4 cup sugar
FILLING
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup dark maple syrup or corn syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
To prepare the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cut together the flour, salt, butter and sugar until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Turn into an ungreased 8-inch baking pan and pat to distribute the dough evenly. Bake until the edges are light golden brown, about 18 to 22 minutes. Remove and set aside.
To prepare the filling: In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, flour, and salt. Add the maple syrup, eggs and vanilla extract and mix well. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips. Spread evenly over the crust and return to the oven. Bake until the filling is set, about 30 to 35 minutes. A knife inserted into the center should come out clean. Cool completely before cutting into bars.