Cinnamon Nut Bars

February and Mardi Gras season and the king cake I had been making for three years now, each one better than the last. This year I added a new element: a small sachet of lavender hidden in the cinnamon filling, which I had read about as a variation and which gave the whole thing a subtle floral note that worked against the richness of the dough. Tanya tried a slice at school and said, "What is that?" I told her. She said it was either too fancy or exactly right and she was coming down on exactly right. I said I agreed with her assessment.

The essay competition results were not yet in and I was trying not to check the email more than twice daily. This was the same impulse management I had done with the science competition sophomore year and I had the same average: approximately four times daily. I have made peace with the fact that I am a person who checks things too often when waiting for significant news. It is a known characteristic. Managing it imperfectly is still managing it.

Jamal called from school in a particular mood — not sad exactly but reflective, which in Jamal is unusual and therefore notable. He said he had been thinking about what came after football, for the first time seriously. He had always assumed the game would tell him when it was over. But he was also, he said, a person with a brain and interests beyond the field, and he was starting to wonder what he was building for those. I said that sounded like something. He said it scared him a little. I said good. Things that matter usually do, at first. He said, "When did you get wise?" I said around fourteen. He laughed. I love his laugh. Some things are more than what they are.

The king cake gets all the Mardi Gras glory, but it’s the smaller things baked alongside it — the ones that don’t require a crown or a hidden baby — that tend to carry a week forward. With the essay results still pending and Jamal’s voice still in my ear sounding more like a man than I was quite ready for, I found myself wanting something I could pull from the oven quickly, something with that same cinnamon warmth running through it but none of the fuss. These Cinnamon Nut Bars are exactly that: straightforward, rich, and the kind of thing you can make while your mind is somewhere else entirely.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 24 bars

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for topping)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for topping)

Instructions

Preheat and prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and set aside.
Cream butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
Add eggs and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla extract until fully combined.
Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Gradually stir the dry mixture into the butter mixture until a soft dough forms.
Fold in the nuts. Stir in the chopped walnuts or pecans until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Spread and top. Press the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon together and sprinkle evenly over the top.
Bake. Bake for 22–25 minutes, until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Cool and cut. Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before cutting into 24 bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Cinnamon Nut Bars — The Sweet Side of Waiting