Vanilla Pecan Squares Recipe

Ingredients

• 150 grams (3/4 cup) unrefined blond cane sugar
• 2 large organic eggs
• 80 ml (1/3 cup) neutral-tasting oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used the essence we brought back from the Seychelles)
• 1 tablespoon dark rum
• 200 grams (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 100 grams (1 cup) pecans (about 42 pieces)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F) and have ready a square 20-by-20-cm (8-by-8-inch) cake pan, either nonstick or lined with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, mix the sugar and eggs until pale and fluffy.
3. Add in the oil, the vanilla, and the rum, and mix again.
4. Add in the flour and salt, mix again. The batter will be thick.
5. Pour into the pan and even out the surface with a spatula. Place the pecan pieces regularly across the surface (you can do 6 rows of 7), to make it easier to slice later.
6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and the pecans are fragrant (keep an eye on them, they'd be the first to burn).
7. Let cool for 5 minutes, and cut into squares (actually, they'll likely be rectangles more than squares).
8. Lift all the squares carefully from the pan, arrange them on a cookie sheet and return to the turned off oven for 30 minutes, so the edges dry out a bit. Let cool completely before serving.