recipe: pecan pie blondies (T-day 4 of 5)

this was one of the better Thanksgiving desserts i've ever made. they

photo courtesy of Bakerita

were insanely unhealthy, but worth it. there really isn't anything better than brown butter... especially when it's mixed up with brown sugar and other fatty, sugary goodnesses. i used the recipe from Bakerita, following it to a T. 

ingredients list - blondie layer:

- 1/2 cup unsalted butter

- 1 cup dark brown sugar

- 1 large egg

- 1 tbsp vanilla 

- 1 cup all-purpose flour

- 1/4 tsp kosher salt

ingredients list - pecan layer:

- 1/4 (4 tbsp) unsalted butter

- 1/2 cup brown sugar

- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

- 1/4 cup heavy cream

- 1 & 1/2 cups roughly chopped pecans

to make: 

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. line an 8x8" pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. set aside. 

place butter in a medium sauce pan and heat over medium heat. butter will melt, then will begin to bubble and foam. brown specks will begin to form in the bottom of the pan, and a white foam will appear on top of the melted butter. stir the butter very frequently to prevent burning. it should start to smell very nutty -- this process should  take 2-4 minutes. remove the butter from the heat as soon as the brown specks appear, and continue to whisk for 30 seconds. (overcooking will very rapidly ruin the butter) transfer butter into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool for a few minutes.

whisk the dark brown sugar into the browned butter. add the egg (making sure the butter is not too hot -- you don't want scrambled eggs!), and vanilla, and whisk to combine. add in the flour, salt, and stir until just combined, being careful not to over-mix. pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it lightly with a spatula. 

to prepare the pecan layer, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. once melted, whisk in the brown sugar and maple syrup until the brown sugar is dissolved. bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. remove from heat, and add in the heavy cream and stir. stir in the chopped pecans. pour the pecan mixture evenly over the blondie batter and smooth the top with spatula. 

bake for 30-35 minutes, or until bars are set. allow them to cool completely before slicing and serving into 16 squares (refrigerating before cutting makes it a little easier).