Graham Cracker Chewies

We have a table set up at our Saturday Farmer's Market filled with books that people donate. The books are free to anyone and, of course, I always check out the available cookbooks.
This recipe came from a charming book that I was fortunate to find, "Nantucket Open-House Cookbook" by Sarah Leah Chase.
I was looking for a quick dessert recipe and this one sounded quick and easy..and it was!
The crust is basically made from graham cracker crumbs and butter which you bake first, then pour the filling over top and bake for a little longer.
I found the crust to be a bit too buttery but still a delicious bar cookie. The pecans give a great crunch and the bars are chewy.
After I baked the bars I saw another version of this recipe online and it was for double this recipe size, (13" by 9" pan). I noticed that the butter amount for this doubled size was 1 1/2 sticks to 3 cups of graham cracker crumbs.
This recipe in the book calls for 1 1/3 cups of crumbs to 1 stick of butter so I think that's why the book version has too much butter. ( Hope this makes sense to you).
So making the changes in the butter amount should give a perfect chewy bar cookie. Let me know if you try it and how it works for you.

Start by making the crust by placing the crackers in a food processor. Give them a good spin to get nice fine crumbs.


Then place the crumbs, sugar, butter and flour in a mixing bowl and mix til moist and crumbly.

Dump the crust mixture into an 9" square pan...

And press the mixture evenly over the bottom.

Bake it for 20 minutes.

While it's baking, make the topping by placing all the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir til blended.

Once the crust is baked, pour the topping over the crust and bake for another 20 minutes.

It should still be a little jiggly, not too set because it firms up as it cools.

I found it was easier to cut into pieces after chilling in the fridge for about an hour.

Graham Cracker Chewies ( adapted from" Nantucket Open-House Cookbook" by Sarah Leah Chase)

Crust:

1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs ( about 9 whole crackers)

1 tbsp. sugar

1 stick ( I'd cut down to 3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp. AP flour

Topping:

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar ( I used light brown)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs ( about 2 1/2 crackers)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

2 large eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350.

To make crust:

1. Place the crackers in a food processor and pulse to make fine crumbs.

2. Mix the crumbs, sugar, butter and flour in a mixing bowl til moist and crumbly.

3. Press the mixture evenly and firmly into the bottom of a 9" square pan.

4. Bake til lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

To make topping:

1. Stir all the ingredients together til blended.

2. Spread the topping over the baked crust and bake for 20 minutes or til just slightly jiggly still.

3. Let it cool completely, then cut into the size pieces you'd like. ( Refridgerating helps make cutting the bars easier.)