Pecan Pie Bark

One of my goals for 2015, besides posting more on my blog here, is to test out more new recipes. In a busy life, it's easy to just go with what you know, right? I like to cook, because I really like to eat!! So with that in mind, I have a category on my Wunderlist for cooking ideas, and a file folder with recipes I have printed close by. I hope to try something new or something I haven't made in a while about once every 7 to 10 days. We'll see. :)

Today, because it's Christmas time and because I have an incredible sweet tooth, it's the Pecan Pie Bark. I have no idea where I got this recipe- maybe Facebook, maybe from a magazine, maybe from Pinterest, who knows? It's super easy and of course, how could you go wrong for taste when it's pecans, sugar, and butter?  Here's the recipe:

• 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup white (granulated) sugar
• 1 1/4 cup pecan halves (I chopped mine into big chunks instead of just halves)
• About 2 packages (approximately 12 sheets) honey graham crackers

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Lay your graham crackers tightly across the area of a lightly greased, rimmed baking or cookie sheet. Trim any crackers to fit the sides of the pan if needed (mine needed trimming about 1/4 of an inch). Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, bring the butter, sugar, and pecans to a boil over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Carefully and evenly pour the boiled mixture over the entire plane of graham crackers, spreading pecans around evenly.
3. Immediately pop baking sheet into the oven and bake for 8 minutes.
4. Allow bark to cool completely before breaking into pieces and storing in an airtight container.

pecan pie bark in the pan, cooling

THAT'S IT! Seriously, how much easier can this get?? I did not break mine into small pieces, however. I took a sheet of wax paper, put that over the cookie sheet, and flipped it over onto my counter (like taking a cake out of the pan). That left the perfect squares of the graham crackers exposed. I have to say I used a generic brand of graham crackers, not that most popular brand, so my graham crackers were these very nice, small squares. I just separated each graham cracker and put them in my container. Anyone who wants one can have a whole cracker, or break it into pieces if they prefer. 

These are yummy!! They remind me of pralines, but not as chewy or creamy. A Texan through and through even tho I live in California, I LOVE pecans, so I didn't think this recipe could go wrong, unless the sugar didn't set. The timing seems just fine though. My sugar syrup worked out fine using the times above.

This would make a quick and yummy gift, or a nice, sweet addition to any holiday get-together. I can't wait to have some with my coffee in the morning! Let me know if you make it and how you like it!