Vanilla Nut Bars

Ina Garten is one of my favorite TV Personalities - I just love her food, her style, and her on-camera personality. You know how you can kinda tell how you're going to get along with a person before you really get to know them? Well, I'm convinced she and I would get along wonderfully.

Anyway, I love how Ina encourages her viewers to master a really good recipe or technique, and then change it up a bit to make different variations. That's exactly what I did with her Pecan Squares - I used her fabulous recipe as a starting point, tweaked it here and there, and ended up with these delicious nibbles that I call Vanilla Nut Bars. I think Ina would approve :).

The changes were simple - I omitted the lemon and orange zest from the original recipe, I replaced half of the pecans with almonds, I added lots of vanilla extract, and I replaced the honey with Lyle's Golden Syrup.  I also cut the recipe in half so my family isn't tempted to eat an entire sheet pan full of these delicious treats. Double the recipe if you want to feed a crowd!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• commercial 9x13 pan https://amzn.to/3Uj4bGL

• Lyle’s golden syrup https://amzn.to/3WEsH7p

• nonstick foil https://amzn.to/3sVHr3Q

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3h8fJy5 (use the good stuff!)

• BeaterBlade attachment https://amzn.to/2HXr41r

• almonds https://amzn.to/3Un3wUU

• pecans https://amzn.to/3DRqKvN

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Vanilla Nut Bars

Makes one 9x13 pan

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2 1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Filling:

• 1/2 pound (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup Lyle's Golden Syrup (or honey)

• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

• 1 pound chopped nuts (I used almonds and pecans)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Make the crust by combining the softened butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.

3. Use the paddle or BeaterBlade attachment (LOVE my BeaterBlade); mix for 3 minutes.

4. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.

5. Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the butter/sugar mixture on low speed just until all the ingredients are completely incorporated.

6. Using well floured hands, press dough into ungreased 9x13 metal cake pan or lined 9x13 quarter sheet pan (see notes below).

7. Bake crust for 15 minutes. Cool. Make the filling.

8. Make the filling by combining the butter, golden syrup (or honey), and brown sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.

9. Heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils; continue to boil for 3 minutes.

10. Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream, vanilla, and chopped nuts.

11. Pour mixture over the crust and bake for 20-25 minutes.

12. Cool until set. Cut and serve!

Notes

• Lyle's Golden Syrup is an all natural sugar cane syrup imported from England. It has an addictive caramel-like flavor and I absolutely love it. It can be used interchangeably in any recipe that calls for honey or corn syrup.

• If baking in a quarter sheet pan, build up the edges a bit with nonstick foil to catch any possible spills.

• A double recipe will fit in one half sheet pan or two 9x13 cake pans.

adapted from Ina Garten's Pecan Squares

(affiliate links)

Lyle's Golden Syrup

Oven Roasted Tomato Dip-Sauce-Spread-Stuff...

I don't know what you should call it, but do yourself a favor and grab some Roma tomatoes - you're going to want to make this delectable dip-sauce-spread-stuff right away.

Did I mention how versatile this stuff is? Use it as a great dip for fresh veggies or pita chips, use it as a sauce on chicken or pasta**, use it as a flavorful mayo substitute on cold cut sandwiches, or use it as a delicious accompaniment to your favorite cooked eggs. Let me know how you decide to enjoy this yummy concoction.

As usual, it's really easy to make - let me show you how. Here we go...

First we roast Roma tomatoes and whole cloves of garlic in a hot oven. Cool to room temperature and proceed to the next step.

When tomatoes and garlic are cool, peel the papery skin off the garlic cloves. Put peeled garlic, tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper into food processor bowl fitted with a metal cutting blade. Process until mix is smooth. Serve at room temperature. May be made up to 2 days ahead. Refrigerate leftovers.

Oven Roasted Tomato Dip-Sauce-Spread-Stuff

makes about 2 cups

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 Roma Tomatoes, quartered

• 2 clove garlic, whole and unpeeled

• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 1 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

• Garnish with chopped chives, scallions, or parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450F.

2. Place tomatoes and whole, skin-on garlic cloves on a baking sheet.

3. Sprinkle with olive oil and toss to coat.

4. Roast in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and cool completely.

6. Remove paper skin from garlic cloves.

7. Place tomatoes, peeled garlic, cream cheese, sour cream, and s&p into the work bowl of a food processor fitted with metal chopping blade.

8. Process until smooth.

9. Garnish and serve at room temperature.

Notes

• Can be made up to 2 days in advance. Refrigerate leftovers.

• To use as a sauce for pasta, thin it slightly with a bit of milk or cream. Use it sparingly - it's very intensely flavored.