Advertisement

Julienne's graham cracker chewy bars

Time 45 minutes
Yields Makes 24 bars
Julienne's graham cracker chewy bars
(Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
Share via
Print RecipePrint Recipe

Now that we’re squarely in 2010, we can look back on 2009 and the hundreds of recipes published in the Food section and call it the year of meltingly delicious caramelized onions, or the year we fell in love with quinoa all over again, or the year we discovered we could make fantastic, crisp-crusted pizza at home. Let’s just say it was another banner year in The Times’ Test Kitchen.

We’ve chosen our 10 (or so) favorite recipes of 2009, remembering how many times we sneaked into the kitchen during testing for Julienne’s graham cracker chewy bars or Paula Wolfert’s sizzling shrimp, both of them instant hits. (Food section staffers are required to taste and evaluate each dish; hey, somebody’s got to do it.)

Food Editor Russ Parsons inspired us to get behind the stove with 5 pounds of onions, cooked until they’re a burnished mahogany in color and have the texture of marmalade. They’re so good simply spread on grilled bread, but then he wowed us by putting them into a luscious potato gratin with prosciutto, a little cream and Gruyere cheese.

Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter, after hauling in firebricks from her car and lining the kitchen’s ovens with them, had a pizza breakthrough: pizza at home as good as any from a pizzeria. Her pizza Margherita rocks.

And there was so much more to love last year: quinoa with shiitakes, fennel and cashews; bell pepper and corn slaw; ragu to make your Italian grandma proud; author Andrea Nguyen’s rice noodles with Chinese chives, shrimp and pork (a great potluck dish); white chocolate bread pudding with whiskey caramel sauce (made in a slow cooker); and orange shortcakes with strawberries and cream.

Now we can’t wait for what 2010 brings.

Read More Read Less
Advertisement

Crust

1

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and flour until moist and well-blended. Press the mixture firmly and evenly over the bottom of a 13- by 9-inch baking pan. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Topping and assembly

1

While the crust is baking, in a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and eggs to blend. Whisk in the graham cracker crumbs, vanilla, salt and baking powder until well-blended. Stir in the pecans.

2

Spread the mixture over the baked crust and return to the 350-degree oven until the filling is light-golden on top and jiggles slightly when tapped, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and cool completely.

3

Sprinkle a light coating of sifted powdered sugar over the pan if desired, and cut into 24 bars. The bars can be made 1 day in advance. Wrap in plastic and keep at room temperature.

Adapted from “Celebrating With Julienne” by Susan Campoy. Campoy writes, “I adapted this recipe from one of my favorite books, ‘Nantucket Open-House Cookbook,’ by Sarah Leah Chase. I love watching people’s expressions when they bite into these bars for the first time. The textures and flavors -- rich toffee, a chewy center and a crunchy bottom -- make everyone smile. The secret is not to over-bake the crust. Serve them at room temperature, so the flavors meld together.”.