Pistachio Bars

Thoroughly butter an 8-inch square pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in cardamom and vanilla. Add flour and mix until combined. The dough will be crumbly. Press evenly into prepared pan and prick all over with a fork. Chill in the fridge until firm, about 15 minutes, while preheating the oven to 375 F.

Remove crust from the refrigerator and put it into the oven. Bake the crust for about 15 minutes, or until lightly golden. Move the pan from the oven to a wire rack and let it cool completely. Turn off the oven.

Once crust has cooled, preheat oven to 325 F while you make the filling.

Place butter, brown sugar and honey into a saucepan and melt over medium heat. Let mixture come to a boil and continue to boil, stirring constantly, for one minute. The mixture will thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and carefully stir in pistachios and vanilla.

Quickly pour filling over cooled crust, spreading it out to the edges. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly. Remove from oven. Let it cool completely and cut into small squares or bars.

This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart’s Pecan Bars.