Pretzel-shortbread Bars

Total Time: 1 hr 44 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 19 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 24
• 3 1/4 cups miniature pretzels, divided
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 9 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg yolk, large

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• 2 line an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
• 3 pulse 1 3/4 cups pretzels in a food processor until powdery, transfer 1/2 cup to a bowl, discard any remaining pretzel powder.
• 4 stir in flour and baking powder, set aside for step 7.
• 5 transfer remaining 1 1/2 cups of pretzels to food processor and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped.
• 6 beat butter, sugar, and vanilla with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• 7 reduce speed to low, and beat in egg yolk, then pretzel-flour mixture, until combined.
• 8 using spoon mix in 1/2 cup of the coarsely chopped pretzels.
• 9 press dough evenly into pan.
• 10 top dough with 1/4 cup of the coarsely chopped pretzels, pressing slightly; discard any remaining pretzels.
• 11 bake shortbread until pale brown and firm in the center -about 25 minutes, maybe 30.
• 12 transfer pan to a wire rack, and let shortbread cool for 1 hour.
• 13 remove shortbread from pan, and cut into 1/2 inch rectangles using a serrated knife.