Glazed Vanilla Bars
These vanilla flavored bars can be topped with chocolate, rum, lemon, or any other glaze you like and decorated to suit your fancy-with sprinkles, chopped nuts, sweetened coconut, and so on.
- 28
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour stirred with 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3/4 to 1 cup glaze (your choice)
- Decorations (your choice or optional): miniature chocolate chips; grated chocolate; multicolored or chocolate sprinkles; multicolored dots; colored sugar; chopped nuts; toasted coconut
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F; grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Gradually add the flour, blending well after each addition.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
Bake for 23 to 26 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Using a small spatula, spread glaze evenly over the baked dough. If you want to decorate, immediately sprinkle decorations onto the still-tacky glaze; larger decorations such as chocolate chips or chopped nuts should be pressed lightly into the glaze. Let the glaze set at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Carefully run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan, then cut into 28 bars (4 bars short end by 7 bars long end), wiping the knife blade between cuts.