Butterscotch Pecan Saucepan Blondies

by Justine
(Minneapolis)

I love these bars. I've been in love with them since discovering them years ago in a cookbook called The Dinner Doctor. They are rich and chewy and loaded with delicious flavor. They don't call for anything exotic - just common ingredients you probably already have in your pantry including biscuit mix, such as Bisquick.

They are great with butterscotch chips and pecans, but I've also used a combination of butterscotch chips, coconut and macadamia nuts, which was terrific. Use whatever kind of chips and nuts you like best.

Butterscotch Pecan Saucepan Blondies

Makes: 48 squares

Ingredients

12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) butter
1-1/3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 cups baking mix, such as Bisquick
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 large eggs
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. (I like to use the baking spray with flour already in it.)

Place the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat and stir with a wooden spoon until it melts. Add the brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until it dissolves and darkens in color, about 3 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the sugar, biscuit mix, vanilla, and eggs, until everything is smooth and well blended.

Gently stir in the butterscotch chips and pecans.

Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly.

Bake in the center of the oven until the edges of the blondies rise up and get crusty looking and the center looks glossy brown and still a little soft, 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.

Cut into 48 squares.