Blondies are underrated. Brownies get more attention; I see more brownie recipes floating around the internet and I generally feel more palpable brownie excitement. I tested this scientifically (by googling) and I turned up 1,360,000 results for blondies and 47,300,000 results for brownies. This seems crazy. I like brownies a lot, I'm not trying to denounce them or lower them in the public esteem, but blondies have some pretty enticing charms of their own. I am here to advocate for the blondie-I am the Lorax of the blondie.
Maybe brownies seem sexier-so chocolatey and intense. But blondies have great rich toasty-toffee flavour, without being overpowering like the chocolate in a brownie. This makes blondies a particularly good canvas for experimentation. Their flavour is similar to great chocolate chip cookies but in a denser, chewier form with a thin crispy, shattery crust. They are great and they deserve a place in our hearts and minds that rivals the oft praised brownie.
I added malt powder, pecans and mini kisses to these blondies, which emphasizes their lovely toasty quality.
adapted from smitten kitchen
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
a pinch of salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup malt powder
1/2 cup toasted pecans
1 cup mini chocolate kisses (or chocolate chips, but really the mini kisses are great)
Mix butter and sugar until combined. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour, salt and malt powder. Add pecans and mini kisses and combine until they are evenly distributed.
Spread evenly in a 8"x 8" pan lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for around 20 minutes until just set. They should be soft in the centre and just crispy around the edges. If in doubt pull them out early-the gooey-ness of the blondies is crucial.
Let cool a bit, though I strongly encourage eating them before they are entirely cooled. They are best soft and warm from the pan, ideally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Photo credits: Tyrel Hiebert