Kentucky Derby Chocolate-Pecan Cookie Bars
Photo 1 shows the thick, slightly grainy combination of pecans and dates as they look after being taken out of the food processor. In photo 2, the brown sugar, egg and vanilla have been added, and you can see that the mixture smooths out beautifully. In photo 3, the dry ingredients have been mixed into the batter, just to the point that the ingredients are thoroughly combined and suddenly come together to form a very, very thick dough.
If you have whole pecans on hand, and don’t have a nut chopper, simply use a measuring cup or drinking glass to crush them before sprinkling them on top of the dough. Press the pecans in to ensure they don’t fall off after baking.
Good Derby Pie isn’t crumbly or crunchy like a cookie, but rich and luxurious and ultra-moist. Kind of like if the best chocolate chip cookie you’ve ever tasted and a gloriously decadent pecan pie had a love child.
Yet with not one bit of butter or even oil anywhere in sight. The technique is cribbed from my beloved Pistachio-White Chocolate (No Butter!) Butter Cookies. They’re insanely good and, well … so are these.