Butterscotch Brownies

Does anyone else have a "go-to" recipe stash. Sure, I probably have hundreds of to-make recipes saved blogs, websites, magazines, and cookbooks, but I also have a stash of a few recipes that I turn to when I need to know exactly how things are going to turn out. You know, those recipes that you have that you've made so many times that you could probably estimate down to the minute how long it's going to take from start to finish. Yeah, this is one of those recipes =)

These bar cookies are one of my favorite desserts from my childhood. They actually came from my grandmother and were also one of my mom's favorite cookies when she was growing up. Back then my grandma made them into individual cookies.  However, somewhere along the way my mom turned them into a bar cookie recipe, and I like them in that form. The crust along the outside of the pan is my favorite part. 

The cookies are unique in that they start by cooking the butter and sugar together on the stovetop to give the base of the cookies a deeper butterscotch flavor. The picture above is about what the butter-sugar mixture will look like when its cool. Waiting for the mixture too cool before you add the eggs may be the only bad thing about the recipe (not that I speak from experience or anything). After that, the rest of the recipe is a breeze. The dough can end up quite thick at the end, but just gently pat it into your pan, bake, and enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Butterscotch Brownies
From Mom

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. shredded, sweetened coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch pan and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, cook butter and sugar over low heat until bubbly. Cool until slightly warm (so that you don't end up cooking the eggs by accident). Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each one. Add vanilla and mix. Stir in flour and coconut. The dough will be thick. Gently pat into the prepared pan. 

Bake for 25 minutes or until the bars just start to brown around the edges. Allow the bars to cool slightly, but cut into bars before they reach room temperature. Enjoy!