This is a delicious cookie bar with a brown sugar nut topping. One of my favorites, I make this every Christmas. Dangerous, though, because I don’t want to give them away, I want them all to myself!
I’m not sure of the origin of this recipe, I wish I could ask my mom. My guess is she took a recipe and modified it.
A quick search on the internet provides tons of cookie bar recipes called “Mud Hens”. Most use chocolate and/or marshmallows. There’s a large group of recipes that look just like this one, except for they call for pecans instead of walnuts. A few recipes separate both egg yolks and whites instead of just reserving one white for the topping. I wasn’t able to find this exact recipe.
So, here’s my mom’s mud hens. Try one and you’ll be hooked!
Mud Hens
Print recipe
| Serves | 12-16 |
| Prep time | 20 minutes |
| Cook time | 30 minutes |
| Total time | 50 minutes |
| By author | Dish Ditty via Cherri |
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/2 cup Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Eggs (Separate 1 egg and reserve Egg white for topping)
- 1 cup Walnuts (Chopped)
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
Note
Variations:
- Mix the nuts with the brown sugar and egg white
- Mix 2 egg whites with 1 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 cup of drained crush pineapple for the final
The origin of this recipe is unknown. My mom made it for us for as long as I can remember. I have seen it posted by others, so I'm guessing it's just one of those recipes that has been passed around for many, many years.
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Set aside. | |
| Step 2 | |
| In mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar. Mix in the full egg, egg yolk from separated egg, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Spread batter into a 9x13 inch pan. I prefer to spray it with pam to make it easier to release. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. | |
| Step 4 | |
| In a small bowl, combine the reserved egg white and the brown sugar. Spread on top of the chopped nuts. | |
| Step 5 | |
| Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the batter is cooked. | |
| Step 6 | |
| Cool and cut into squares. | |
