And by throwing them together, I mean exactly that - the baking (generous half-sheet!) pan was filled with the thick, brown sugar-engorged batter within ten minutes of bringing the mixer to the island! Just be sure to set the butter out to soften a bit first - you don't want it meltingly soft, but you should be able to make an indent with your finger without much effort. Now, if you are a nut fan, a couple cups of toasted chopped pecans or walnuts would make an excellent add-in to the batter for a contrasting bite - however, Jeff vetoed that idea as he wasn't sure if the majority of his co-workers are nut enthusiasts or not. I tried, especially since we are in the South now, but he wouldn't budge! Once you scoop the vanilla-laced batter into the pan, be sure to give the top a once over with a sturdy off-set spatula to even and smooth the batter.Looks and smell work well for testing for doneness as the sugar-y aroma is powerful, but a trusty toothpick does the job if you second guess yourself. The bars will puff up as they bake, but you'll know when they are almost done when the batter begins to settle back down and take on a lovely golden shade. When you take them out from the oven, give them plenty of time to cool down before you even think of starting the frosting - they are fairly delicate while hot and the icing will stick and set best when they have cooled completely.
As the name implies, you'll find an ample supply of butter and moist brown sugar in the icing. Melted together into a bubbling, sticky pool of love, when those two ingredients are combined with confectioners' sugar, half-and-half and a liberal splash of vanilla, the dynamite icing is formed and will begin to set up quickly. You will have a few minutes to slather it over the bars, but don't dilly-dally trying to make it perfect or you may end up with a mess.While I'm all for mile-high brownies, these bars are on the thin side and neither of us thought that was a bad thing as they are quite dense and rich with their butterscotch background. Besides, the almost equal-in-thickness insane addition of soft, fudge-like icing on top makes for quite the mouthful! However, if you do want some heftiness to them, cram the decadent batter into a 9" x 13" pan and extend the baking time. If you opt for that, I don't recommend piling on all of the frosting - either save it for scooping on graham crackers (not like I did that or anything... just sayin') or reduce the recipe to compensate.
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