Ooey Gooey Butter Bars
According to Cook’s country, which is where we got this recipe, Gooey Butter Bars hail from St. Louis, the best city in the Midwest.
These are very rich, so this recipe is perfect for sharing or if you have a large family.
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 ½ cups (12½ ounces) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (3 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups (1 pound) confectioners’ sugar, plus extra for dusting
- 2 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Spray foil with vegetable oil spray.
For the crust: Combine flour, sugar, and salt in bowl. Add melted butter and stir with rubber spatula until evenly moistened. Crumble dough over bottom of prepared pan. Using bottom of dry measuring cup, press dough into even layer. Using fork, poke dough all over, about 20 times. Bake until edges are light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
For the filling: Combine cream cheese and butter in bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle. With mixer running on low speed, slowly add sugar and mix until fully combined, about 1 minute, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium-high and mix until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Reduce speed to low; add eggs and yolks, one at a time, and mix until incorporated. Add vanilla and salt and mix until incorporated, about 20 seconds, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium-high and mix until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes (mixture should have consistency of frosting). Spread filling evenly over cooled crust. Tap pan gently on counter to release air bubbles.
Bake until top is golden brown, edges have cracked, and center jiggles slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool completely, at least 3 hours.
Using foil overhang, lift bars out of pan. Cut into 12 pieces. Dust with extra sugar and serve. (Bars can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
Originally taken from Gooey Butter Cake Bars