Butter Pecan Bars and a Glowing Afternoon Tea in the Orchard

Come join us under the arbour by the orchard for a glorious Afternoon Tea picnic. We're serving finger sandwiches, scones, and these delightful Butter Pecan Bars with a melting shortbread crust and a silky toffee topping studded with lots of crunchy pecans.

The afternoon light is glowing in the late-summer orchard garden. It feels like there's magic in the air. The end of summer brings out those feelings of fullness and ripeness, the musky scent of fruits and vegetables at that wondrous tipping point of lushness before the gentle decline into autumn. In the orchard, the air is perfumed with black raspberries drying on the vine, ruddy apples bending the weight of their branches to the ground, and the first yellow leaves decomposing after last night's heavy dew.

Nature beckons us to come and sit, be still in the garden, celebrate the culmination of a glorious summer in the orchard. It's a special time to enjoy an Afternoon Tea Party under the arbour with dear friends. We respond to Mother Nature's call with Nicoletta and Loreto (of SugarLoveSpices), our friends and picnic partners, and celebrate the season under the arbour leading to our orchard garden.

The Virginia Creeper vines are at their thickest, beginning to don their ruby-leaved fall blanket. I need to give them a good trim, as they are almost completely enrobing the cedar arbour my dad built for us years ago. After its haircut, the arbour opens up and welcomes us in.

Let's Set Up a Beautiful Fall Picnic Outdoors

We drag a table next to the old stone bench in the arbour and drape it in a golden damask tablecloth (with a larger cream-coloured undercloth to cover the table legs). This is a perfect secret spot for a picnic. It's leafy and shady under the vines. A beautiful Portmeirion teapot and tea cups are the stars of the table, along with a clear glass 3-tiered cake stand with a bronze ribbon-wrapped handle, vintage luncheon plates, crystal fruit bowl, candle holders, and jam bowls. Green majolica side plates contribute to the botanical theme of this orchard-inspired Afternoon Tea.

Ivory linen napkins, antique beaded napkin rings, and beeswax candles complete the natural look. And of course, fresh flowers. We choose golden calendulas, orange echinacea, and boughs of crabapples laden with fruit. Tiny blown-glass cylinder vases hold a bright yellow blossom at each place setting. Those overflowing Virgina Creeper vines form a glowing backdrop to the table as the sun shines through them.

In front of the arbour, a small table is covered with a richly-coloured tapestry rug. A crystal vase of glorious fall flowers gleaned from both of our gardens holds pride of place over a selection of fall-inspired desserts - an Olive Oil Apple Cake bedecked with crabapple sprigs, a bowl of Maple Ginger Cashew Cream, and a vintage glass plate of Chocolate-covered Stuffed Medjool Dates. Our wicker picnic basket is opened up beside it. A stand of purple monkshood blooms in joyful profusion beside the arbour.

autumn's glory

ORCHARD HARVEST AFTERNOON TEA PICNIC MENU

Savouries
Turkey Slider Buns with Arugula, Pickled Red Cabbage & Sage Mayonnaise
Peanut Butter & Jam Sandwiches
Apple & Cheddar Bites 
 
Scones
Cranberry Scones with Crème Fraîche and Orange Marmalade

Sweets
Butter Pecan Bars
Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares
Apple Cake with Maple Ginger Cashew Cream
Chocolate Covered Stuffed Dates
Apples, Grapes, Pears 

Beverages
Vanilla Rooibos Tea
Water

Start From the Bottom Up

We start on the bottom tier of the cake stand with Turkey Slider Buns. These are layered with a Sage Mayonnaise, topped with deli smoked turkey slices, then lots of arugula and tangy quick-pickled red cabbage - very tasty (recipe coming soon). We can't resist the classic combination of good ol' peanut butter and jam sandwiches, made on brown bread with homemade saskatoon jelly and strawberry jam. Nicoletta and Loreto add their favourite Apple & Cheddar Bites - slices of fresh apple topped with slices of aged cheddar, then drizzled with honey and a generous sprinkle of cracked black pepper - so easy and fantastic for a fall appetizer.

Then Scones

Next, as per English Afternoon Tea tradition, we enjoy the middle tier of the cake stand - the Cranberry Scones. Nicoletta makes her wonderful scone recipe and adds dried cranberries for a lovely fall flavour. We serve them with crème fraîche today (since we couldn't find any clotted cream) and the tanginess is perfect. We choose orange marmalade instead of the usual strawberry jam - it's just right with the tart cranberries and feels in keeping with the end-of-summer mood.

Then Sweets, and Butter Pecan Bars

To fill the sweet tier at the top of the cake stand, I made Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares, (a tangy pumpkin cheesecake filling lightly spiced with fall spices and topped with a crunchy streusel) and these decadent Butter Pecan Bars. A cross between a rich pecan pie and creamy toffee-filled butter tarts, pecan bars are the perfect nibble for an Afternoon Tea picnic, or any other picnic occasion. They pack and travel well and are a great make-ahead. Nicoletta also shares her vintage plate bedecked with caramelly sweet Medjool dates, stuffed with a walnut half and dipped in chocolate - delicious simplicity. Loreto's mother's footed crystal bowl holds a selection of apples, grapes, and pears.

And, of course, it wouldn't be an Afternoon Tea Picnic without a pot of hot tea - we choose Vanilla Rooibos this time, for a lovely fall vibe.

For a finishing sweet touch, we serve Nicoletta's ode to the orchard; a beautiful apple-studded cake along with my luscious Maple Ginger Cashew Cream, a delightful dairy-free change from whipped cream (and one that packs and keeps well for any picnic).

We sit on cushions on the benches, leaning our elbows on the table in the arbour, chatting, laughing, eating, and sipping tea. The birds twitter in the apple trees, and we lazily wave away the wasps wanting to share the remnants of our feast as the afternoon slips by and the glowing light slowly wanes.

It truly has been a magical teatime in the orchard.

Head over to SugarLoveSpices to see Nicoletta and Loreto's lovely photos, story, and Stuffed Dates recipe from our Orchard Afternoon Tea Picnic, and continue scrolling for the Butter Pecan Bars recipe below. We've caught the picnic bug and we can't wait until we have another one!

More Picnics and Afternoon Teas

Check out our other picnics and unique Afternoon Teas for some great recipes and inspiration:

• Coronation Chicken Salad Sandwiches and a Perfect Afternoon Tea Picnic
• Gluten-Free Sausage Rolls and a Glorious Autumn Picnic
• Homemade Tomato Soup and a Late Fall Picnic by the Lake
• Gluten-Free Victoria Sponge Cake and a Summer Afternoon Tea Picnic
• Luscious Lemon Mousse and a 'Fun & Games' Picnic

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Butter Pecan Bars Recipe

Butter Pecan Bars

Margaret Bose Johnson

Delightful Butter Pecan Bars with a melting shortbread crust and a silky toffee topping studded with lots of crunchy pecans. (Gluten-free crust included.)

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Save to Pinterest

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Afternoon Tea, Baking, Bars & Squares

Cuisine American, Canadian

Servings 18

Calories 224 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  9x9-inch (23x23 cm) square baking pan

Ingredients

 

• ▢ ½ cup (115 g) salted butter
• ▢ 2 tablespoons sugar
• ▢ 1¼ cups (175 g) gluten-free flour blend (or regular flour for non-gluten-free)
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar, packed
• ▢ ¼ cup (60 ml) melted butter (salted)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vinegar (distilled white vinegar)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1¼ cups (125 g) coarsely chopped pecans

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃). Lightly grease a 9x9-inch (23x23 cm) square baking pan.
• Cream the butter and sugar until they are smooth and fluffy. Add the flour and mix until they form small, even crumbs. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
• Bake the crust for 10 minutes.
• While the crust is baking, make the filling - whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, melted butter, vinegar, and vanilla. Stir in the chopped pecans.
• Remove the partially baked crust from the oven, and press down any air bubbles with the back of a spoon. Pour the filling mixture over the hot crust and return it to the oven.
• Bake for a further 20-25 minutes, or until the filling is set at the edges and still a bit jiggly in the center. Remove the pan from the oven and let the bars cool for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife or thin spatula around the inside edges of the pan to loosen the filling from the pan, so that it doesn't stick to the pan as it cools.
• Allow the bars to cool in the pan and the filling to set completely (3 - 4 hours) before cutting them into 9 squares, then cutting each square diagonally into 2 triangles.
• Makes 18 triangle bars.

Notes

Try other soft, buttery nuts - walnuts or macadamia nuts would be delicious.

Or replace the pecans with 1 cup of raisins or currants to make Butter Tart Bars.

Nutrition

Serving: 1barCalories: 224kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 3gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 72mgPotassium: 55mgFiber: 2gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 270IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!