Brown Butter Blondies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
• Flaky sea salt for finishing

Before you cook

• Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment, leaving an overhang.
• Toast the pecans in a 350-degree oven for 8 minutes, then chop them.

Steps

1. Melt the butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat.
2. Keep cooking, swirling the pan, until the foam subsides and brown flecks appear on the bottom and the butter smells like toasted nuts, about 6 minutes.
3. Pour the brown butter and all the flecks into a large bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes.
4. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Whisk the brown sugar into the warm butter until it looks like wet sand.
6. Whisk in the eggs and the extra yolk one at a time until the batter is smooth and glossy.
7. Whisk in the vanilla.
8. Add the flour, baking powder, and fine salt and fold with a spatula just until combined.
9. Fold in the pecans and white chocolate chips.
10. Spread the thick batter evenly in the lined pan.
11. Scatter a little flaky salt over the top.
12. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is set and golden and the center is just barely firm.
13. Cool completely in the pan, about two hours, then lift out and cut sixteen bars.