Blondies are a great thing to make when you’re visiting someone else’s home. They are as simple as baking a batch of cookies, but actually take less time because all the dough goes into the oven at once. You can add anything that is lying around the kitchen, so having anything beyond the basic butter-sugar-flour-egg ingredients is not vital. Chocolate chips, nuts, chopped candy bars, dried fruit or candied fruit will all work. Much like making brownies, there is no need for multiple pans. And, of course, cookies require nothing beyond a bowl and a spoon for mixing.
I visited my brother this weekend and wanted to bake something for him and the guys he lives with. There are 5 of them, in total. Now, these guys do cook for themselves – not haute cuisine, but they know how to use appliances other than the microwave. Cooking is not a priority for them, though, so sometimes specific utensils or equipment that I consider vital are lacking: spatulas, whisks, an actual baking sheet (they use a round pizza pan). I used a 9×13 casserole dish, lined with aluminium foil. I recommend lining the pan instead of greasing it with butter or cooking spray because the blondies will be much easier to remove. They had flour, sugar, butter and eggs, though the brown sugar and the baking soda that I used I bought for them on my last visit. I used chopped up Hershey bars and butterscotch chips, roughly equal amounts of each, but probably a bit more chocolate. Total time took about 30 minutes, not including preheating or mise en place. Easy.
Once baked, the blondies can be cut into any sized bar. So they work as well for a crowd as they do for a small group.
Butterscotch Chocolate Chunk Blondies
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar (half brown, half white)
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips/chocolate chunks/whatever is lying around
Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper.
Stir together flour, baking soda and salt.
Cream butter and sugar by hand or with an electric mixer. Add in eggs one at a time until incorporated. Stir in vanilla.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture in 2 additions, then add your chocolate/butterscotch chips and stir until batter is smooth. Spread evenly into your prepared pan.
Bake 20-25 minutes, until the edges are golden brown (A slightly longer baking time will produce a slightly more cakelike cookie). A tester should come out clean, if you use one.
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then lift out onto a rack for further cooling. Cut bars as desired.
T
May 25, 2005blondies are one my newfound favorites- i love the addition of butterscotch! yum 🙂
Clare Eats
May 25, 2005wow they look great!
I dont think we can get butterscotch chips though…?
Nic
May 25, 2005Tanvi – Glad you like it. All my tasters seemed to really like them, too.
Clare – Bummer! Maybe you can keep your eyes out at a specialty baking store for them.
cookie jill
May 25, 2005hhhmmmm…the same color as that Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding!
I think I’ll have this recipe instead. Probably alot easier on the arteries.
😉
the baker
May 26, 2005hey nic,
those look really good! btw, what exactly are blondies? I have a recipe for it in my cookie recipe book but was just curious what is it exactly? more cookie or more cake? or a fair mix of both? and haha why is it called blondie? (if you know)… i’ve never eaten or baked them before…
FoodNinja
May 26, 2005I cant wait to try it… I am a big brownie fan… this will be a nice change
Nic
May 26, 2005Jill – I think you’re probably right
Baker – Blondies get their name because they considered to be a relative of brownies, but are more of a blonde color. Because they are thicker than a regular cookie, they don’t get as crispy or chewy and tend to be a bit more cakelike, though if you compare them to actual cake, they are not really cakelike at all. I guess I would just describe them as a nice, large bar cookie. Maybe you’ll have to give them a go and see for yourself!
Mika
May 26, 2005Nic- delicious looking blondies. I am tagging you next to show off your cookbooks.
cookie jill
May 26, 2005OK…Hello is finally working for me today…got the photo of the Krispy Kreme event up.
The Dare is ON! (oh..yeah…dragged you into it too!)
Nic
May 26, 2005Templar – Brownie lovers usually love these. I hope you do!
Mika – Thanks! I’ll get right on it.
Jill – Alright!
Riana
June 7, 2005Nic, thanks for visiting my blog. I admire yours for a long time. This blondie looks delish!
Helen (AugustusGloop)
July 16, 2005Hi Nic!
These taste sensational! I can’t believe I got to taste these c/- US and Aussie postal services, but I’m so glad I did.
I’ll definitely have to bookmark this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing! You are sweet beyond belief! =)
Parita
February 5, 2006hi nic,
these blondies sound to be just too good. i would like to know if i can make them without using eggs???
thanx.
Anonymous
September 20, 2006I made these last weekend and found it to be very buttery. I think i may cut down on the butter next time…maybe to 1/2 cup butter. My boyfriend loved them though!
Bernice
April 17, 2007Hi, I tried the recipe just now. The top of my blondie was more of a brown colour. Am new to baking hence can I know what’s wrong? Is my oven heat too hot?
Thanks!!! =D
P/S: The blondie was still yummy!!! Had 2 slice at one go.
Nicole
April 17, 2007Bernice – It could be a variation in oven temperature or even they way the heating elements in your oven are arranged. As long as they tasted good, I wouldn’t worry about it too much!
Bernice
April 18, 2007Thanks Nicole!!! I gave most of the blondies to my friends and they said they were yummy!!!
THANKS FOR SHARING THE RECIPE!!!