Sticky Pecan Pie Bars With Cake Mix Crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare the crust: In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, melted butter, and egg. With an electric mixer on low speed, beat for 2 minutes, or until blended. The batter should come together in a thick dough.

With your fingertips, pat the dough evenly over the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9X13 baking pan to form a crust, smoothing the surface. Bake the crust 20 minutes, or until it just begins to brown. Remove the pan from the oven and set it aside while you prepare the filling. Leave the oven on.

In the same large bowl used for the crust with the same beaters (no need to clean either), combine the corn syrup, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, beat ingredients 1 minute, or until well combined. With a rubber spatula, scrape the sides of the bowl and fold in the pecans until well distributed.

Pour the filling over the baked crust and spread it with the rubber spatula to cover the entire surface. Bake the cake 22-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling just starts to set. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. To serve, cut the cake into bars.