
Despite despising most of the actors involved, one of my favorite movies is Vanilla Sky. At one point, several characters discuss the need for the bad times in our lives as well as the good.
A character named Brian says, “…the sweet is never as sweet without the sour, and I know the sour.”
I’ve always thought that was a beautiful line. Several things that I think are never as sweet without the sour:
A sleeping child. If they didn’t scream and fuss at you all day, you might be tempted to overlook their angelic nature when sleeping quietly.
A donut. Most would reach for coffee or tea, but I prefer the sour punch of orange juice with my breakfast pastry. A chocolate donut is especially pleasing, as orange and chocolate were just meant to be.
Summer. I love summer. Winter has nothing to offer me in its cold, grey exterior. However, without the bleak darkness of the long winter months, perhaps I wouldn’t appreciate the warm glow of summer.
I’ve been spending a lot of time gazing at the emerging green life around my house. The forest is filling in and the grass is growing long. I love how the warm air envelops my newly tanned skin.
These bars beg to be eaten on the deck, shared with friends, in the cool dusk of summer.
This recipe comes from a lovely woman named Laura over at Heavenly Homemakers. Its the easiest dessert I’ve ever made and the simplicity really lets the flavor of the butter and sugar shine. They’re sweet without being sickeningly so, and chewy without being too gooey.
I’ve actually made these entirely with whole wheat flour before, as the original recipe calls for, and not only can you not tell its wheat, but I actually like the subtly nutty flavor it provides.
Save your savory snacks for winter and enjoy one (ok, five) of these bars in the sticky sweet of summer.
Recipe

Ingredients
- 1 cup melted butter
- 1 ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix melted butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in flour and mix until well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes.
Sandy says
These are great! Few ingredients, easy to make and they taste great. They are great on their own, or if you wanted to add baking chips or my mom’ s caramel frosting recipe on top. This one is definitely a keeper!! Thank you so much for sharing it with everyone!
Sandy says
Great tasting and easy to make!