Butterscotch-Pecan Blondies

Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Line a 13-by-9-inch glass or metal baking dish with foil and set it aside.Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Continue to cook, swirling the pan and occasionally scraping the sides with a rubber spatula, until the butter turns amber in color, smells nutty, and the solids are browned, about 7 to 10 minutes. (Be careful, the butter may sputter.) Immediately transfer the butter to a large heatproof bowl, making sure to scrape in the browned solids from the bottom of the pan. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until aerated and combined; set aside.

Add the brown sugar to the browned butter and stir to combine.

Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk to combine. Using the rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture until just combined, being careful not to overmix. (The batter will be very thick.) Fold in the pecans. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, push it to the edges, and smooth it into an even layer.

Bake until the edges are starting to brown and a cake tester or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

Remove the pan to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 30 minutes.To remove the blondies, grip the foil and pull it out of the baking pan.

Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 24 (2-inch) bars.

Remove any foil before serving.