Blondies

Who doesn't love a good brownie or their cosmic counterpart--the blondie. The Husband worships brownies with an all consuming fanaticism. After I made these blondies, I felt like he was cheating on my brownies (sorry for the poor quality pix). Men can be so fickle!

Be sure to under bake these blondies and make sure to start checking them a couple of minutes before you think they might be done. If they are overcooked, they'll just dry out and be hard little blocks. No fun at all. My biggest secret to all cookie/brownie/blondie baking: make sure to under bake them. Of course all ovens are different, but I've realized that if I take baked goodies out of the oven two minutes before the minimum bake time, it will be perfectly underdone!


Blondies
Makes 16

1 cup (4 ounces) pecans or walnuts
1 1/2 cups (7 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups (10.5 ounces packed light brown sugar)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 ounces good-quality white chocolate chips (1 cup) or chopped bar, or 3 ounces each white chocolate and sensed chocolate chips (I usually do the latter)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on large rimmed baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer nuts to cutting board t cook; chop coarsely and set aside.

2. White nuts toast, cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking pan, pushing it into the corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet (if using extra-wide foil, fold second sheet lengthwise to 12-inch width). Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.

4. Whisk melted butter and brown sugar together in medium bowl until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in chocolate and nuts and turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with rubber spatula.

5. Bake until top is shiny, cracked, ad light golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes; do not overbake. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove bars from pan by lifting foil overhang and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 2 inch squares and serve.


Congo Bars

After toasting nuts in step 1 of recipe for Blondies, toast 1 1/2 cups unsheathing*, shredded coconut on rimmed baking sheet, stirring 2 or 3 times, until light golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Follow recipe for Blondies, adding coconut with chocolate in step 4.

* Sweetened coconut is not a suitable substitute here because it will burn.