Nutty Butterscotch Blondies

1. Prepare the Oven and Pan

Position your oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. To prepare the pan, make a foil sling by laying two long sheets of aluminum foil perpendicular in a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Let the extra foil hang over the edges to help lift the blondies out later. Smooth the foil to fit the pan snugly and lightly spray it with vegetable oil.

2. Mix Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, table salt, and baking powder. Set this dry mixture aside.

3. Brown the Butter

In a 10-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, which should take about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until the butter turns dark golden brown and emits a nutty aroma, typically 1 to 3 minutes. Pour the browned butter into a large heatproof bowl to cool slightly.

4. Combine Wet Ingredients

Add the brown sugar to the hot butter and whisk until smooth. Then, add the eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla extract, continuing to whisk until the mixture is well combined.

5. Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures

Stir in the flour mixture, followed by the chopped pecans and milk chocolate chips, using a rubber spatula to fold everything together until just incorporated.

6. Prepare for Baking

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan, ensuring it reaches the corners and the surface is smooth. If you like, sprinkle some flake sea salt on top for an extra burst of flavor.

7. Bake

Bake the blondies in the preheated oven, rotating the pan halfway through, for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is deep golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed.

8. Cool and Cut

Allow the blondies to cool completely on a wire rack, which should take about 2 hours. Once cooled, lift them out of the pan using the foil overhang and transfer to a cutting board. Remove the foil and cut into 24 bars.

9. Storage

For storage, wrap the blondies tightly in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.