I first made these delicious bars last summer for a picnic on the beach. They have become very popular with family and friends and I get many requests for them.

Chocolate Pecan Squares

INGREDIENTS

For the pastry

250g plain flour

25g icing sugar

75g unsalted butter, chopped

1 large egg yolk

For the cake

125g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

125g caster sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

125g butter, softened

150g milk or 100g dark chocolate chips

(I prefer using dark chocolate chips as I find them less sweet)

75g pecan nuts, chopped

To assemble

6 tbsp Nutella

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan and grease and baseline a 25 x 15cm shallow baking tin.

For the pastry put the plain flour and icing sugar in a food processor with 75g of butter, roughly chopped and blitz until crumb-like in texture. Add the egg yolk and whizz until the mixture comes together. Turn into the tin and press into a thin layer. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

Meanwhile, put the self-raising flour, baking powder, caster sugar, vanilla extract and the 2 eggs into the food processor with the softened butter and blitz until smooth. Remove the blade and fold in the chocolate chips, chopped pecans and set aside.

Spread the Nutella over the cooked base, and then spread the cake mixture over the top.

Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/160C fan and bake for 45-50 minutes until golden. (You may have to cover loosely with foil.)

Leave to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares and store in an airtight tin for up to 2 days.

Tip:

I like to decorate the cake by drizzling warmed Nutella onto the uncut cake and then, once cut, top the squares with pecan nuts.