Walnut Cookie Bars (with Shortbread Crust)

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup very cold butter (cut into pieces, no substitutes)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Recipe

• 1 set oven to 350° (oven rack to second-lowest position).
• 2 grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
• 3 in a processor (i use my small processor for this) place the flour and sugar, process for a couple of seconds.
• 4 add in cold butter and vanilla; process until fine crumbs form (about 10 seconds or just until the mixture holds together).
• 5 press the mixture into bottom of the baking pan.
• 6 bake 350° (second-lowest oven rack) for about 12-15 minutes or until the edges are just golden brown.
• 7 meanwhile in a bowl whisk together brown sugar, corn syrup, 2 teaspoons vanilla, pinch salt and eggs until well blended.
• 8 mix in chopped walnuts.
• 9 pour over the crust.
• 10 bake for about 20 minutes or until set (these bars do not bake out high so watch closely they bake quickly!).
• 11 cool for about 1 hour or more before slicing.
• 12 at this point you can drizzle with melted chocolate if desired.
• 13 slice into bar shapes.