Macadamia Bars

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, separated
• 1-1/4 cups flour
• 1 cup macadamia nuts, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• confectioner's sugar for dusting

Directions

1.  Cream the sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a large non-reactive bowl until fluffy.  Beat in the egg yolk.  Mix the flour into the butter mixture until thoroughly incorporated.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Press the dough into the bottom of a greased 8x8x2 inch baking pan.  Bake on the lowest rack for 10 minutes.
3. Beat the egg white with reserved brown sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth.  Add the macadamia nuts and cinnamon to the egg mixture and mix well.  Spread the egg white mixture on top of the dough and return to the middle rack of the oven for an additional 15 minutes until the top is firm.
4. Cut into bars while the dough is slightly warm.  Transfer the bars to a wire rack to completely cool.  Dust the bars with confectioners sugar.