1. 1. Prepare Your Baking Pan: Preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal later. This will prevent sticking and make serving much simpler.

2. 2. Press the Cookie Dough Base: Take the refrigerated sugar cookie dough and press it evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. You want to create a uniform layer that will serve as the crust for your bars. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to ensure it’s flat and covers the entire bottom.

3. 3. Create the Pecan Filling Mixture: In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, packed light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, and vanilla extract. Whisk these ingredients together until they are well combined and smooth. The mixture should be thick and syrupy.

4. 4. Add Eggs and Pecans: Crack the two large eggs into the brown sugar mixture and whisk until fully incorporated. The mixture will become slightly lighter in color and more cohesive. Gently fold in the chopped pecans until they are evenly distributed throughout the filling.

5. 5. Pour Over the Crust: Carefully pour the pecan filling mixture over the sugar cookie dough crust in the baking pan. Use a spatula to spread the filling evenly, ensuring it covers the entire surface of the cookie dough base.

6. 6. Bake Until Golden: Place the baking pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The bars are done when the edges are lightly golden brown and the center is set and no longer jiggly. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with moist crumbs, not wet batter.

7. 7. Cool Completely Before Slicing: Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. This is a crucial step; allowing the bars to cool fully will help the filling set properly, making them much easier to slice cleanly. If you try to cut them while warm, they may crumble.

8. 8. Slice and Serve: Once thoroughly cooled, use the parchment paper overhang to lift the entire slab of bars out of the pan. Place it on a cutting board and slice into squares or rectangles of your desired size. Serve and enjoy!