Cinnamon Brown Sugar Bars

I have a thing for brown sugar, which is alternatingly glorious and dangerous (seriously- I could eat it with a spoon on its own, and have done so many many times). Ever since sprinkling (pouring) it on my Shreddies and Life cereal as a kid, there’s been no turning back. (Case in point- the Quickie Toffee Graham Cracker Cookies. Basically just an ode to brown sugar.)

So any bar that relies heavily on the beloved ingredient piques my interest, to say the least. (I love simple recipes that don’t require me having to lug out the stand mixer [like these Chewy Pecan Bars], but I respect that sugar and butter do need to be creamed together in a way that I just can’t do with my arm and a wooden spoon in order to get that light and fluffy texture. Because it’s that light and fluffy texture that makes the finished bar so rich and amazing. So if it takes a few extra minutes out of my life to mix, well, I guess it’s time well spent.)

A final note: the cinnamon. The sprinkling of cinnamon (with its best friend, sugar) over the tops of these bars before baking is what makes these so freaking mind-blowing, by the way. I’m really excited about these bars, kids. No nuts, no chocolate chips, no chopped up anything. Just the taste of brown sugar, with a bit of cinnamon, coming at you to take you down.

Adapted from Dessert Now Dinner Later’s recipe…

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups brown sugar, packed

1 cup butter, room temperature

2 eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1. Preheat oven to 350º and grease a 9×13″ pan; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla until light & fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl.
4. Gradually add flour mixture until just combined.
5. Spread evenly into prepared pan. In a small bowl or cup, combine sugar and cinnamon then sprinkle evenly over batter.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the surface springs back after a gentle push. Allow to cool on a cooling rack.
Tips:
- Use Vietnamese or Saigon cinnamon, just for fun. It has a spicier kick than the usual cinnamon. (I use a tablespoon of it every day in my cereal for breakfast… can’t… get… enough.)
- If you don’t love cinnamon then by all means, skip the sprinkling step at the end… but you’ll miss out on the incredible smell that takes over your kitchen when this puppy bakes. (Do sprinkle sugar over the top of the bars anyways, especially a raw kind of sugar with larger granules.)
- This freezes well, if well wrapped.
- Enjoy!
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June 21st, 2014 | More Sweets Please | 2 Comments | Tags: Brownies & Bars, Cinnamon

2 Responses and Counting...

R Ruel 06.21.2014

The combination of brown sugar and cinnamon is lethal. I defy anybody to confine their snack to one bar.
More Sweets Please

We’re on the same page- eating one bar is an impossible task. And brown sugar and cinnamon have a trademark on “lethal”. I’m so with you.