Brown Butter Pecan Cinnamon Bars

By Emily Luchetti
Bar cookies are particularly easy to make since you melt the butter first, and these have a special spiciness from the singular taste of browned butter combined with cinnamon.
  • Yield: 3 dozen
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INGREDIENTS

  • Baking powder
  • eggs
  • Ground cinnamon
  • kosher salt
  • Light brown sugar
  • Pecans
  • pure vanilla extract
  • sugar
  • Unbleached all-purpose flour
  • unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Grease a 9 by 13-inch square baking pan.
  3. Put the butter in a medium pot and cook over medium low to medium heat until golden brown, stirring frequently and making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan. As soon as it becomes golden brown remove it from the heat and pour it into a bowl to stop more coloring. (If any of the bits are black strain the butter.) Set aside.
  4. Whisk together the sugars, eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk in the butter in a steady stream. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and pecans. Stir until everything is evenly blended.
  5. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. (You can also place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the dough and press it evenly into the pan.)
  6. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the batter just comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Do not overcook or they will be dry.