Hi Marilyn! :)
I have been thinking about your comment for a few weeks now (and have since made them again and again). This is very true for me, too, and has been since the recipe was first developed. But it just doesn’t register to me as something wrong LOL. They’re gooey pecan pie bars, and that’s the way they’re intended to be. I’m guessing you were expecting a dry pie crust bottom layer that does not absorb any moisture from the filling as a separate layer? I’m so sorry that is not what this recipe produces! Maybe I should take the word pie out of the title? Because this recipe uses a rich shortbread crust, it’s always going to be dense and gooey and rich, like custard filling. I really like the way these taste. The goal was: a bite of that gooey pecan pie filling but in an easier form (no rolling a pie crust out!)

Pie crust by design has moisture wicking abilities intended to hold the filling separate from the crust. But in my opinion, pie crust is dry, slightly salty and boring because of this LOL (I’m sorry to out myself here as someone who only eats the filling in a pie and leaves the weird salty greasy crust on the plate HAHA)

I’m sorry these aren’t what you expected, and I will add words to the recipe that reflect these as what they are: gooey rich pecan bites with an insanely delicious crumbly pecan shortbread crust. (sometimes I eat the crust on its own without the filling bc it’s so good alone lol).
But firm pecan pie filling + separate pie crust is not what this recipe makes. I’m sorry if you feel mislead :( I’ll update the recipe to make it clear that these are custard-like, rich and gooey. I think I’m a glutton now lol

Yes, you absolutely can! Great question :)

Try a regular mixer on low speed :)

Emailed you :)

Thank you

Oh I don’t think the crust was supposed to be crisp…soft, chewy and like the inside of a pecan pie.

Thank you for yet another recipe that will be in my standard repertoire.