Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened
- 3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 box (3.4 oz) Instant Pistachio Pudding Mix
- 1 large Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Powder
- 1/2 cup Chopped Salted Pistachios, plus extra for topping
Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal, and lightly grease the exposed pan or paper.
- Step 2: In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and alcohol-free vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Step 3: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the instant pistachio pudding mix powder, and a pinch of salt (if using unsalted pistachios). Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Step 4: Fold in the 1/2 cup of chopped pistachios. Press the dough evenly into the prepared 9×13 inch pan. Sprinkle the top with any additional chopped pistachios for decoration, if desired.
- Step 5: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the edges are light golden brown and the center is set. The bars may look slightly underdone in the center, but they will finish setting as they cool.
- Step 6: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack (about 2 hours) before lifting them out using the parchment paper overhang and cutting them into squares.
Notes
- These bars stay perfectly soft for up to a week; store them at room temperature in an airtight container, separated by wax paper if stacking.
- While delicious cold, a quick 5-10 second blast in the microwave will restore that fresh-baked warmth and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Enhance the "Dream" factor by serving these bars slightly chilled with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a light drizzle of white chocolate ganache.
- Since the instant pudding mix already guarantees a tender dough, stop mixing the moment the dry ingredients disappear to prevent overworking the gluten and maintain a super soft bar texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American