Blondies

A blondie (also known as a "blond[e] brownie" or "blondie bar" is a rich, sweet dessert bar. It is made from flour, brown sugar, butter, eggs, baking powder, and vanilla, and may also contain walnuts or pecans. Chocolate chip blondies may contain white or dark chocolate chips. A blondie may have a taste reminiscent of butterscotch. Blondies resemble the traditional chocolate brownie, but are based on brown sugar instead of cocoa; they are sometimes referred to as blonde brownies. They are baked in a pan in the oven similar to how traditional brownies are baked, then cut into rectangular shapes for serving.

Blondies are often confused with white chocolate brownies, although they are highly different, as unlike the white chocolate brownie or the normal brownie, they contain no chocolate or chocolate flavoring, not inclusive of chocolate chips, which are often put in blondies.

Like brownies, blondies may include chocolate chips. They may also contain coconut, nuts, toffee, or any other chunky candy for added texture. Blondies aren't usually frosted; the brown sugar flavor tends to be sweet enough. Another popular variation is the Congo bar, which contains chocolate chips with either walnuts or coconut. Blondies are sometimes served in sundaes, often topped with caramel sauce

The blondie, essentially a brownie variant. A dense cake with butterscotch being the predominant flavor instead of chocolate. Characteristics to strive for include a rich, buttery flavor with good balance between sweetness and saltiness, moist texture, and a golden blonde appearance.

From Wikibooks Cookbook

Blondie Recipe

1 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup unsalted butter [melted]

1 cup light brown sugar [firmly packed] 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 egg 3/4 cup chopped walnuts and/or pecans

Preheat oven to 325°F. Dry toast the chopped pecans/walnuts until fragrant and slightly colored. This can either be done in a dry skillet on the stove top over medium high heat while stirring frequently or else by roasting the nuts in the oven on a cookie sheet while you prepare the batter. The stove top method is faster but requires more attention. It is also possible to buy dry toasted nuts instead of raw to avoid this step.

The pecans/walnuts should be crunchy and nutty, not rubbery or mealy. In a small bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, stir the melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until uniform, breaking any large lumps of sugar. Beat in egg until creamy. Gently fold in flour mixture. When flour is nearly incorporated, gently fold in toasted pecans/walnuts. Do not overmix. Spread mixture into buttered 8" x 8" baking dish. Bake at 325°F for 30 minutes or until desired doneness. Let cool and cut into bars.

Text Credits: Wikipedia Wikibooks Cookbook || Image Credit: WikimediaCommons