TWD: Blondies

Chewy, Chunky Blondies

 Nicole of Cookies on Friday picked Chewy, Chunky Blondies for our TWD treat this week. Boy Mimi had some free time on his hands so he volunteered to get into the kitchen and make these blondies. Because we like our blondies soft and gooey we only baked ours for 30 minutes, and they were perfect. They had a nice crispy crust and the middle was rich and chewy.

They were everything a blondie should be- soft, chewy and full of brown sugar flavor.  As a family we really liked these blondies, execpt for the butterscotch chips, so next time we will leave them out or use toffee bits. They were a nice change from a regular chocolate brownie, and a step up from a plain chocolate chip cookie. They were the perfect afternoon snack and really easy to put together, especially since Boy Mimi did all the work! They would be the perfect thing to take to a party or on a picnic, and make a great dessert when they are fresh from the oven and topped with some homemade vanilla gelato.

Blondies

 Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

2 cups flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1-1/2 cups (packed) light brown sugar

½ cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped into chips or 1 cup store bought chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips or Heath Toffee Bits

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9” x 13” baking pan and put it on a baking sheet.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add both sugars and beat for another 3 minutes, or until well incorporated. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing just until they disappear into the batter. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chips, nuts, and coconut. Scrape the batter into the buttered pan and use the spatula to even the top as best as you can.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the blondies comes out clean. The blondies should pull away from the sides of the pan a little and the top should be a nice honey brown. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for about 15 minutes before turning the blondies out onto another rack. Invert onto a rack and cool the blondies to room temperature right side up.

Cut into 32 bars, roughly 2-1/4” x 1-1/2”

Thanks Nicole for a great pick.  To see what the other TWD bakers made check our blog roll.