Blonde Brownies

by Anne


I rarely revisit a recipe without making a couple changes- either adding something new or switching up proportions. So when I went looking for a good "standby" blonde brownie recipe, I was expecting to experiment with a few different versions before I finally stumbled upon a keeper. Well, little did I know that this recipe is (almost) perfect as is.

Everything about the recipe is easy - the ingredient list is short, assembly simple, and final product delicious. I have no idea how many times I've made these guys - and as long as I cook them long enough (I've been tempted to pull them out early because they smell so darn good) they're great. They really just taste like chocolate chip cookie bars, but then again, isn't that true of all blondies?

So...just preheat your oven to 350, grab a mixing bowl, and cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in two cups of self-rising flour. I suppose you could use all purpose flour, AND add baking soda, AND add salt, but the magic (it is magic, right?) of self-rising flour is part of what makes this recipe so much fun- and so easy. Stir chocolate chips- nuts too, if you want- into the batter.

Grease and flour a 9 x 13 baking dish. Use butter and flour, please. Pretty please. The only time I've ever screwed this recipe up was when I was too lazy to butter and flour the pan. I used a generic cooking spray and wow, I've never regretted anything so much (no, not really). But it was bad, really bad. And while my fiance ate his fair share of them to make me feel better, his "Oh, these aren't THAT bad" comments reaffirmed once and for all that cooking spray is not an appropriate substitute for butter.

Pour the batter into the pan (it will be a bit thick, so be sure to spread it around) and sprinkle with sea salt. Well, the sea salt is technically optional, but I highly encourage it.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (at least). It's easy to under-bake these guys, so poke 'em with a toothpick in a few places to make sure they're done. Let them cool for about 10 minutes (if you can wait that long), chop them up and enjoy! I'm sure they'd be great all crumbled up and served over ice cream- but I've never had 'em around long enough to try.


Blonde Brownies (adapted from about.com):

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (6 oz) butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups self-rising flour
  
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream together brown sugar and margarine; beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Stir in flour, chocolate morsels. Spread in greased and floured 9 x 13-inch pan and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.