Pretzel-Shortbread Bars - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups miniature pretzels, DIVIDED
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
9 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk, large

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Line an 8 X 8 inch pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
Pulse 1 3/4 cups pretzels in a food processor until POWDERY, transfer 1/2 cup to a bowl, DISCARD any remaining pretzel powder.
Stir in flour and baking powder, set aside for Step 7.
Transfer REMAINING 1 1/2 cups of pretzels to food processor and pulse a few times until coarsely CHOPPED.
Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Reduce speed to low, and beat in egg yolk, then pretzel-flour mixture, until combined.
Using spoon mix in 1/2 cup of the coarsely chopped pretzels.
Press dough evenly into pan.
Top dough with 1/4 cup of the coarsely chopped pretzels, pressing slightly; discard any remaining pretzels.
Bake shortbread until pale brown and firm in the center -about 25 minutes, maybe 30.
Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let shortbread cool for 1 hour.
Remove shortbread from pan, and cut into 1/2 inch rectangles using a serrated knife.