The Best Blondies

To be honest, I didn't know what blondies were when I first heard of them. I knew they baked like brownies, but didn't know the significance behind the name. But duh... it's because brownies look like brunettes and blondies like blondes... um sorry took me a while to get that one. Anyway, I love the idea of  combining a chocolate chip cookie and a brownie; blondies have the taste of a chocolate chip cookie, but instead they have gooey middles which are delicious. I might just like them more than brownies... we will see. 

I got this recipe from Smitten Kitchen and the recipe can adapted in any way you like. I thought about adding mashed up bananas, but thought I would test out the recipe first then experiment later. I am now definitely going to add some bananas, maybe some dried fruit or white chocolate chips to my next batch! I will run some tests and let you all know!

I know I haven't been my best in keeping up with my baking, but I am doing some serious planning. Three more weeks and I will be done with school and will have my wonderful kitchen back home in LA! I can't wait. I am dying to make a strawberry-rhubarb pie... but in the mean time while I am here in Seattle I will make a Banoffee pie, French sugar puffs, and I'm thinking some ice cream sandwiches to start off the summer right! 

Here is the recipe: 

from Smitten Kitchen:

•  8 tbl (1 stick, 4 ounces or 113 grams) butter, melted

•  1 C (218 grams or 7 3/4 ounces for light; 238 grams or 8 3/8 ounces for dark) brown sugar

•  1 large egg

•  1 tsp vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

•  Pinch salt

•  1 C (4 3/8 ounces or 125 grams) all-purpose flour

1.        Butter an 8×8 pan

2.       Mix melted butter with brown sugar – beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla.

3.       Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in any additions (below).

4.       Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle. Cool on rack before cutting them.

Further additions, use one or a combination of:

•  1/2 to 1 C chopped nuts, toasting them first for even better flavor

•  1/2 to 1 C chocolate chips

•  1/2 tsp mint extract in addition to or in place of the vanilla

•  1/2 C mashed bananas

•  1/4 C bourbon, scotch or other whiskey; increase the flour by one tablespoon

•  2 tbl of espresso powder with the vanilla

•  Stir 1/2 C dried fruit, especially dried cherries, into the prepared batter

•  Top with a vanilla butter cream or chocolate peanut butter cream frosting

xoxo, A