I want to share one final favorite recipe with you as we finish up the 25 Days of Christmas series for 2020! When I think about Christmas desserts, I don't immediately think of cookies or fudge or cakes. I think about a dessert that my Mom faithfully made for the Christmas get-together with my Dad's side of the family. I vividly remember my uncles opening all of the dessert containers in search of these brown sugar chews. :-)
Here's the weird thing. I never ate this dessert as a kid. I'm not sure why. Honestly, I was not the hugest fan of desserts, and, if I ate a sweet treat, it would be a "kid" choice like brownies or cookies. I still do not prefer sweets (weird, I know), but this is the one dessert on the Christmas menu that I will look for each year.
So, what is a brown sugar chew? Just imagine an ooey gooey pecan pie bar. That's about it! They are baked in a baking dish and can be cut into bite-sized pieces or cut into larger squares (like brownies).
Hope you enjoy this unique treat!
Tutorial
Step 1: Gather all of the ingredients and preheat the oven to 350° F.
You'll need:
- 2 cups of brown sugar
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of melted butter
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 cup of self-rising flour
- 1 cup of chopped pecans
Step 2: Mix ingredients.
- In case you missed it in step 1, preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Place 2 cups of brown sugar and 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of softened butter in large mixing bowl. Mix for at least 30 seconds.
- Add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Mix well.
- Add 1 cup of self-rising flour and 1 cup of chopped pecans to the mixing bowl. Mix again until combined.
- Pour the mixture into a well-greased pan. I typically use a 9x13 baking pan but you could also use a 9x9 pan for thicker chews.
Step 3: Bake brown sugar chews.
- Place baking dish into a preheated 350° F oven.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out "clean."