Blondies Have More Fun

Okay, so the title of this post is almost groaningly inevitable. But when I brought these in to the office on Friday, a surprising number of people asked, "What's a blondie?" I explained to them that it's basically a brownie but without the cocoa powder and with brown sugar. How sad that we live in a world where more people don't know about blondies. Anyway, last weekend I knew I had a busy week ahead and that I probably wouldn't have time to bake on Thursday night, so I made these confections from the Amy's Bread cookbook and put them in the freezer. They were quite simple to make, and the batter was absolutely the most gorgeous ochre color (and yes, I went on Wikipedia to find the exact correct shade of Brown that the batter was. That's how beautiful.) The color didn't quite hold throughout the baking, but it's okay, because these blondies were off-the-charts good. Chewy, super-rich (make sure you have a glass of milk or water on hand), but not too buttery or greasy. These were the most popular thing I've brought to the office since I started Baked Goods Friday six months ago - they were gone by noon, so I guess that speaks for itself! You can find the recipe here - I, of course, left out the walnuts - and be sure to spread the gospel of blondies.

Blond(i)es Have More Fun

The adventures of the non-dairy desserts continue! As many of you might have read before, I am not a huge chocolate person, which always makes parve desserts a little complicated since so many of them are based around intense dark chocolate. However, in the dead of winter (I made these a while ago, and winter also seems not interested in ending this year in New York), most fruit desserts are out because there were no high-quality berries around. What's a girl to do?

Answer: blondies! The delicious chocolate-but-not-too-chocolate compromise. Usually I make blondies from my chocolate chip cookie recipe, but I thought I would try something new this time. I did some research (ie googling) and found the recipe for these. They looked a little intense because of the amount of brown sugar, but I substituted half of it for white sugar instead and that helped the sweetness issue. I also liked this recipe because it used oil instead of margarine, which I try to avoid at all costs.

The verdict: they were a big hit. They were very chewy, which people liked, and very sweet, but not in an overwhelming way. A good compromise indeed. You can find the recipe here.

An Exercise in Contrasts: Blondie Brownies

Of all of the people in my family (in-laws excluded), I am probably the one least likely to choose the chocolate dessert when there is another option. If it's made with high quality dark chocolate, I am embarrassed to say that I probably won't like it. However, the exception for me is brownies from a box. I know, not especially dignified, but sooo delicious.


That being said, if I'm having company, I feel like I owe them better than that. So this is one of my favorites: a layer of blondies (aka chocolate chip cookie batter in disguise), topped with a layer of brownies. The last time I served them, one of my friends told me to "blog the [expletive] out of them." So there you go. Enjoy!


Blondie Brownie Bars:


1 box of brownie mix (make sure it's the kind that fits a 9 x 13 pan), with all required ingredients


2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup skim milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) chocolate chips


Preheat the oven to 350.


Prepare the brownies as instructed by the box. Set aside.


Mix the butter, vanilla, eggs, milk, and both types of sugar until well blended. Add the dry ingredients and mix. Add the chocolate chips and mix the batter until the chips are evenly distributed.


In a 9 x 13 pan, evenly spread the cookie batter through the pan. Pour the brownie batter on top and spread evenly. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes, or until the middle is solid and a toothpick comes out clean. Be careful-- these are really thick, so they might need more time than that, depending on your oven.


Allow to cool before cutting and serving.