Best Nanas Creole Pecan Cake Bars Recipes

NANA'S CREOLE PECAN CAKE BARS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 300°F Coat the bottom and sides of a large (17-by-12-inch) baking sheet with cooking spray, then line with parchment paper.
• 2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
• 3. Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed. Add eggs one at a time and beat until creamy. Add vanilla and beat until combined.
• 4. Add half the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until well combined. Add cinnamon and nutmeg; stir until blended into the mixture completely. Add pecans, raisins and dates to the rest of the flour mixture. (Coating the dried fruit and nuts helps distribute them in the mix.) Stir the flour-coated fruit and nuts into the batter. Do not overstir. Evenly spread the batter into the prepared baking pan with a spatula. (Coat the spatula with cooking spray, if necessary, to make spreading easier.).
• 5. Bake for 45 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the sides. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 45 minutes. Invert onto a large cutting board and remove the parchment. Cut into 48 squares.
• Per bar: 132 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 18 mg cholesterol; 17 g carbohydrate; 9 g added sugars; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 43 mg sodium; 90 mg potassium.
• Tip: To bring an egg to room temperature, set it on the counter for 15 minutes or submerge it (in the shell) in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for 5 minutes.

NANA'S CARAMEL PECAN ROLLS

Steps:

• Combine the yeast, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and the warm water in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook, and let sit for 5 minutes, until foamy. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, remaining sugar, and salt. Turn the mixer on low, and pour the egg mixture over the yeast; mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour, and mix until smooth. Add the melted butter, and mix well. Add the remaining 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, and mix until the dough has a smooth, elastic texture.
• Lightly oil another large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl; turn to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then cover with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 1/2 hours (or, at this point, the dough can be refrigerated overnight, then rolled out and filled the next day).
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl.
• After the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, and roll it into a 12 × 15-inch rectangle (the size of a half-sheet tray). Using a rubber spatula, spread 1/2 cup of the butter mixture evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the butter with 1/2 cup of the pecans and the raisins. Starting with the long edge, roll the dough, jelly roll-style, into a large pinwheel cylinder. Cut the cylinder into nine equal rolls.
• Lightly grease a 9 × 13-inch cake pan, then spread the remaining butter mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup pecans. Arrange the dough slices in staggered rows of three (pinwheel swirl side down), three across and three down on top of the butter mixture. Press each dough piece lightly to spread into an even circle. The slices in the rows across should just touch; there will be a space between the rows down. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft free spot for 45 minutes to an hour, until the rolls have doubled in bulk.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Bake the rolls, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on a baking rack. Using a sharp knife, cut around the sides of pan. Place a large baking sheet over the pan. Using oven mitts, hold the baking sheet and pan together tightly and flip over, releasing the cinnamon rolls onto the baking sheet (use a rubber spatula to scrape any remaining buttery syrup or nuts onto the tops of the rolls). Serve the cinnamon rolls warm or at room temperature.