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Make the pie crust

• Combine flour and salt. Cut in the cold butter until crumbly. Gradually add in ice water, pausing to mix with hands every so often. Stop adding water when the dough comes together. Shape into a disk and encase in plastic wrap to chill for at least an hour or for a day.

Shape crust

• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a 13×9 pan with foil and apply nonstick spray.
• Lightly flour a clean, flat surface. Roll out dough to roughly fit the pan (hold the pan over the dough to gauge the correct shape). Press dough into pan so that it goes evenly across bottom and up all four sides. Pinch off excess dough and use that to patch and extend elsewhere. It doesn’t need to be pretty, as it will largely be covered by filling.
• Place crust in fridge to chill.

Make filling

• Melt the two sticks of butter in microwave or on stovetop. Set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, and salt, scraping bottom to incorporate. Stir in flour, melted butter, and vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Pour filling into chilled crust. Sprinkle pecans all over top.
• Cover top loosely with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil. Bake another 30 minutes. Check for doneness; the pie is done when the top is golden and a butter knife tip inserted in the middle comes out clean. Pie may need as much as 15 more minutes to finish baking, meaning the total baking time can range from 50 to 105 minutes.
• Cool in pan on wire rack, then place in fridge to fully set and chill. Use foil to lift pie onto a cutting board to slice into bars.
• Store bars in sealed container in fridge. Best eaten within a few days.

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Preparing the crust

• Let pie dough sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out dough into a 14-inch round. Wrap it around the rolling pin to transfer it to a pie dish. Shape it into pan, cutting back overhang and crimping edges as desired.
• Set on a rimmed baking sheet and prick bottom and sides all over with fork tines. Freeze for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven with a rack in the lower third of oven. Line the frozen pie crust with parchment paper and filled to brim with pie weights. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes; check part way and cover edges with foil if they brown too quickly. At the end, the edges should look set and dry.
• Use parchment to lift out the pie weights onto another cookie sheet to cool. Put pie back in oven for another 20 to 25 minutes, monitoring it. If the crust puffs, use a flat metal measuring cup or similar device to press crust down. By the end, the bottom crust should look golden and dry. Let crust cool on baking sheet.

Assembling pie

• Reduce oven temperature to 350-degrees.
• Place pecans on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes to roast, stirring halfway through. They should be dark and fragrant.
• Place 5 ounces dates and 1/2 cup boiling water in food processor. Let sit for 10 minutes. Process until smooth, about a minute. Add eggs, brown sugar, bourbon, butter, kosher salt, vanilla bean paste/extract, and cinnamon. Process until smooth, about a minute.
• Remove bowl and blade from food processor. Stir in pecans and remaining dates. Scrape the filling into the crust.
• Bake pie for 45 to 55 minutes, rotating halfway through. If the crust is getting too dark, protect edges with foil. At the end, the filling should no longer look shiny but be dry and set. Cool pie on wire rack and then chill at least 2 hours.
• Store covered with foil in fridge. Keeps well for days.

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• Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Line a 15x10x1 pan with a large piece of aluminum foil. Add nonstick spray or butter to coat.
• In a large bowl, beat butter to soften. Add both sugars to thoroughly combine. Add both extracts. Beat in flour until just combined, scraping the bottom of the bowl a few times. Press dough evenly into the base of the pan. Bake until set, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Use an uneven spatula to spread fruit preserves over top. Crumble up the almond paste and sprinkle over top. Sprinkle on almond pieces.
• Bake for another 35 to 40 minutes, until both the almond paste and nuts have browned. Cool on a wire rack for a few hours, stashing in fridge to chill faster.
• Mix glaze, adding more sugar or water as needed to create a thick yet drizzable texture. Drizzle on glaze. Let set again, at least 30 minutes, or in fridge.
• Use foil to lift contents onto cutting board to slice up. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The bars can also be frozen fully prepared.

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• In a medium bowl, combine flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
• In a mixing bowl, combine both sugars and butter. Mix in the eggs and extracts. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients until just combined.
• Put a large stretch of parchment paper on the counter. Place the sliced almonds in a bowl.
• Use a large cookie scoop to shape dough. Roll dough in almonds to completely coat. Place cookie balls in fridge to chill at least 2 hours or overnight, or place in freezer bag for later baking.
• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on baking sheet. Set dough balls on sheet, spaced out about 2 inches; they will spread. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until set.
• Move to rack to completely cool. Sift confectioners’ sugar over tops.
• Store in a sealed container. Cookies are best within 2 days but are okay after that.

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• Beat together butter and both sugars until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
• In another bowl, stir together flour, kosher salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Fold in the pecans. Gently fold in 1/2 cup of the fig preserves, trying to maintain some chunks and swirls.
• Set out a piece of waxed paper. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to dole out round of dough, then gently compress each. Add small dollops of fig preserves atop.
• Place dough balls on waxed paper in the fridge for at least two hours, or place in freezer to bake later. Note that after the dough is frozen, it can be placed in a freezer bag or other container for safekeeping. The fig preserves will still remain soft. When it is baking day, place dough in fridge to thaw for a few hours.
• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
• Set cookie dough balls, with the fig preserves up, spaced out a few inches on the baking sheet. The cold dough may still spread a lot as it bakes.
• Bake for 15-17 minutes. Let cookies rest on sheet about 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Store them in a sealed container at room temperature.
• These cookies are best the first day, but are still okay for a couple days.

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• Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line the 13×9 pan with foil. Add a coating of nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, beat together butter, almond paste, and eggs. Add the white sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the flour until combined. Spread dough in the prepared pan.
• Measure the jam into a microwave-safe bowl and gently warm until it is soft and spreadable. Dollop the jam on top of the dough and spread out, swirling with dough slightly. Sprinkle the almonds on top followed by the turbinado sugar.
• Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely.
• Use the foil to lift the contents onto a cutting board, slice into bars. If stacking in storage containers, place waxed paper to make it tidier. Store at room temperature.

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