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The chocolate alternative By Chef Kady Guyton
A thick fudgy brownie with a cold glass of milk is a thing of beauty. Dark in color, moist in crumb, studded with nuts or chocolate chips - or both, a brownie will perk up any bad day. But sometimes chocolate is overkill. Sweet but not overwhelming is what's needed. Enter the blondie. Often described as a brownie without the chocolate, I prefer to think of blondies as a dessert all of their own. A lesser-known entry in the bar cookie category, blondies get their flavor from brown sugar rather than chocolate. For this reason, do not substitute light brown sugar for dark, the depth of flavor won't be there. The recipe below calls for adding the ingredients in steps. I was feeling adventurous and mixed all the dry together, then added in the wet with equally good results. As with any baking, once the liquid has been added to the baking powder and soda, you have about 15 minutes to get everything in the oven before it fizzes itself out. The batter will be a moist ball about the consistency of Play-Doh. Spread it in an even layer into an 8x8 pan and bake. The batter will rise initially, then fall back a bit. Bake until set or a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Because the dough is so thick, you are not limited in the mix-ins you can work with. If nuts are the preferred option, do take the time to toast them before hand. Toasting makes them more crispy and brings out they flavor. I opted to include butterscotch chips in this batch. The weather was hot and I was absentminded and left them on the counter of my non-air conditioned kitchen. In short order I had a bag of butterscotch goo. I stirred the appropriate amount into the recipe and ended up with blondies that were butterscotch flavored throughout, rather than the usual pockets of melted chips. I only mention this so if the same thing should happen to you or someone you know, then you'll know that all is not lost. The finished product is a dense, rich bar that goes great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a cold glass of milk. The recipe only makes one 8x8 pan resulting in nine mid-sized blondies. They are rich enough that one will be plenty and you probably won't care too much. Blondies 1/2 cup of butter, melted 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour an 8X8 pan. Whisk together the melted butter and sugar in a bowl. 2. Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk. 3. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, mix it all together. Add the butterscotch chips or other mix-ins. 4. Pour into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool. Cut into squares and serve. Makes 9 blondies. |
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