What’d You Do Last Weekend?
Heading to a party where there will be lots of wine, and not sure what to take? How about some simple savory cookies - biscotti and sables made for wine pairing?
This recipe is part of Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies.
Blondies
I remember my first blondie. I must have been in third grade when one of my classmates brought them for snacktime. I marveled at them - brownies that weren't brown! How did they make the chocolate change colors? Did they use white chocolate, if there was such a thing?
I left blondies to the world of magic until I started baking out of Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies. It was only then that I realized blondies are closer to chocolate chip cookies, especially those baked in a pan (does anyone make chocolate chip bars anymore, anyway?). There are a few differences in the straight cookie dough recipe from those of blondies, but if you're looking for a different kind of chocolate chip, try these and keep the magic alive.
A few notes about this recipe:
- Try changing the nuts for a different flavor. I substituted almonds for the walnuts and got a very different crunch.
- The recipe says to sprinkle half the nuts on top, but I think the recipe would be nice if there were some more of the nuts mixed into the batter. It would change the texture a little bit, but might make the tops seem less overloaded. You can also cut back on the nuts and chocolate chips on top.
- I skipped chocolate chips and instead chopped chocolate from a brick of Valrhona 65%. The chocolate has a lower melting point than chips, so there's a little more spread across the top.
- Assume 1 c AP flour = 4.5oz
- The recipe called for 1 T rum and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract, but I made a change here. I had homemade vanilla made with small batch rum on hand and I used 1 T total in the recipe. This gave the blondies a distinctly tropical flavor.
Blondies
1 c AP flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
8 T unsalted butter
1 c (packed) light brown sugar, lump free
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 T dark rum or bourbon (optional)
2/3 c walnut pieces
1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips
Equipment
8-inch square pan, lined across the bottom and up 2 opposite sides with parchment paper or foil
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and mix together thoroughly with a whisk or fork. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the brown sugar.
- Use a wooden spoon to beat in the egg, vanilla, and rum, if using.
- Stir in the flour mixture followed by half of the walnuts.
- Spread the batter in the pan.
- Sprinkle the remaining walnuts and the chocolate chips evenly over the top.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the nuts look toasted, the top is golden brown, and the edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan.
- Cool in the pan on a rack.
- Lift the ends of the parchment or foil and transfer to a cutting board.
- Use a long sharp knife to cut into 16 squares.
Yield
Makes 16 blondies
Storage
May be stored, airtight, for 3 to 4 days
Source
This recipe comes from Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies, and is available on Purple House Dirt with permission from the author.