Tip of the hat — those famous hats! — for the Kentucky Derby! And because of this event, here is something as “Kentucky” that I could think of: Browned Butter Bourbon Pecan Chocolate Derby Bars. Browned Butter shortbread bottom, topped with a bourbon pecan brownie layer and caramel sauce. Very decadent and a true winner!
PS: Don’t mind the mint in the photo — the Kentucky Derby does always remind me of mint juleps, but there is no mint in the recipe; I just used it to dress up the photo a bit.
Ingredients
for the shortbread layer
1 cup plus 4 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to just warm
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon bourbon
3 cups all-purpose flour
for the brownie layer
1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso (optional)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon table salt
2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped
1/4 cup caramel sauce (store bought it fine)
Directions
Create a foil sling for your 9 x 13 baking pan, and spray literally with baking spray.
In a work bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt; whisk to combine. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk the melted butter until brown specks appear at the bottom. Watch closely and be careful not to burn. It should be a light brown color and have a nutty aroma. This should take about 5 minutes. Place brown butter in a large heat-proof bowl and whisk in an ice cube. Let cool for another few minutes, then add the bourbon and mix into the flour and sugar mixture, along with the two egg yolks. Place the pan in the freezer for 30-60 minutes or so; the chilling of the crust prevents it from expanding and rising too much during baking.
Remove the crust from the freezer and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes, or until the sides are lightly browned. Then remove from the oven, and increase oven temperature to 350F.
While the shortbread dough is baking, make the brownie layer. Whisk cocoa, espresso powder (if using), and boiling water together in large bowl until smooth. Add unsweetened chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in melted butter and oil. Add eggs, yolks, and bourbon and continue to whisk until smooth and homogeneous. Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated. Add flour and salt and mix with rubber spatula until combined. Once the shortbread layer is out of the oven, immediately add the brownie layer and spread all over the base. sprinkle on the pecans — there will be a lot of them — and press lightly into the brownie layer. Bake for an additional 35-40 minutes at 350F.
Let cool completely on a wire rack before drizzling with the caramel sauce. Let harden and then, using the sling, lift the bars out of the pan. Cut into 2 inch squares.
