Brown Sugar Cinnamon Shortbread Bars

• Salted butter1 cup (226 g)
• Brown sugar½ cup (100 g)
• Vanilla extract2 teaspoons (8 g)
• Flour2 ½ cups (315 g)
• Salt½ teaspoon (3 g)

• Brown sugar1 cup (200 g)
• Flour2 tablespoons (16 g)
• Cinnamon1 tablespoon (8 g)
• Salt¼ teaspoon (1.5 g)
• Melted butter⅓ cup (75 g)
• Milk2 tablespoons (30 g)
• Vanilla extract1 teaspoon (4 g)

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper.

Make the shortbread base: Melt the salted butter. Then in a mixing bowl, add in the melted butter, vanilla, and brown sugar until creamy and smooth. Add flour and salt. Mix until it forms a soft dough. Reserve 1 cup of shortbread dough for the crumble topping.

Press the remaining shortbread evenly into the bottom of the prepared 8x8 pan. Bake the base for 9-11 minutes, just until the edges are lightly set. Once this is done baking, let this cool for 10 minutes before adding the filling.

Make the filling: In a bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Add the melted butter, milk, and vanilla. Stir until smooth and paste-like. Spread the brown sugar cinnamon filling evenly over the warm shortbread base. Crumble the reserved shortbread dough over the top. Leave gaps where the filling peeks through.

Bake this for another 22–25 minutes, until the top is lightly golden.

Cool completely for about 2 hours before slicing into bars for clean layers.