STEP 1: Gather all your ingredients and preheat oven to 180°C.
Crust
• 1 cup all-purpose flower
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
Filling
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla essence
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup pecans
• ¼ cup salted caramel (See caramel recipe, just add one teaspoon of salt) or store-bought
Ingredients sponsored by Strubenvale Pick n Pay
Directions:
STEP 2: Make sure you have the correct measurement of the ingredients.
STEP 3 (Crust): Add flour, brown sugar and butter together.
STEP 4: Use your hands to crumble the ingredients together so it looks like breadcrumbs.
STEP 5: Turn mixture into baking pan, lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Press crust tightly into pan. (I used an oven-safe glass dish). Put into oven and bake for about 18 minutes. DO NOT over-bake as it has to go back into the oven later.
STEP 6: While waiting for your crust to bake, start with the filling. Add the egg, maple syrup, vanilla and salt together and whisk until combined.
STEP 7: Add the pecan nuts (chopped or broken into rough pieces) to the mixture and stir.
STEP 8: After the crust has baked, carefully pour mixture over crust. Distribute evenly.
STEP 9: Bake for 16 – 19 minutes until center is set. Let cool for at least 1 hour (squares will set further with cooling).
STEP 10: Drizzle salted caramel over. (I was modest, but you can be a little more generous with this, it gives the squares a divine taste).
STEP 11: Let cool for a while further and cut into squares. Serve and enjoy!
