Pecans are Better

I made this dessert right before we decided to try gluten free again.

 David said he thought it looked good and I did too.  I used up some Christmas chocolate chips and sent some to the lounge for the residents.  Unfortunately, I used walnuts instead of pecans.  There is something about walnuts that doesn't work for just any dish.  I felt like the walnut flavor overwhelmed the whole bar.  I might would try again with pecans as the recipes calls for.  I mean, I love a good shortbread crust!

Derby Bars from The SoHo (Southern Hostess)
Derby Pie Bars
For the shortbread crust:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed

For the filling:
12 tablespoons (1 + 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (originally pecans)

Preheat oven to 350° F. To make the crust, combine the powdered sugar, flour and salt in a food processor. Add cubes of butter and pulse until it resembles coarse. Firmly pat the mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Bake the crust for about 20 minutes until just lightly golden. 

For the filling, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, flour, salt  and continue to mix until well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and pecans. Pour batter over partially baked crust. Bake until filling is set and the top is light golden brown, 30 - 35 minutes. Allow bars to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve with vanilla ice cream.  Enjoy!