Smitten Kitchen is one of my favorite food blogs. I stumbled upon this recipe when I was babysitting and skimming through the mom’s cookbooks. Are you surprised that I like to read cookbooks in my free time? I adjusted the recipe a bit by substituting the whole milk for soymilk and adding more vanilla. They still turned out amazing and fluffy, tasting like cinnamon muffins. My roommate, Kimberly, devoured the whole pan. Enjoy!
Cookie Base
• ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup whole milk
• 1½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Gooey Layer
• ¼ cup light corn syrup
• ¼ cup soy milk
• 1.5 tablespoons vanilla extract
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
Topping
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper with a 2-inch overhang/butter pan.
To make the cookie base:
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed until pale and creamy.
• Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Add the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with the milk, and mix just until combined. Spread batter into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. (the batter is thick and spreads out pretty thin in baking pan)
To make the gooey layer:
• In a small bowl, whisk together the corn syrup, milk, and vanilla. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed until pale and creamy.
• Add the egg, mixing until incorporated, followed by the salt. Add the flour in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Spread the batter evenly over the cookie base in the baking dish.
To make the topping:
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar and ground cinnamon to make the topping. Sprinkle evenly over the batter. Bake until top is golden brown, 25-35 minutes. The gooey layer won’t set until the squares have cooled completely.
Let cool, then slice into 2-inch squares. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.