Blondies

I made blondies for our Superbowl party on Sunday, and was surprised to learn that there isn't much consensus on what blondies actually are. When I announced to my husband that I was going to bake a batch of blondies, he basically responded with a confused, blank stare. And later, even as party guests happily munched on the bite-sized morsels, no one really seemed to have a good working definition for them.

Blondies are essentially a dessert bar, often lumped into the brownie category. The thing that sets blondies apart are their base of brown sugar and butter, with no cocoa powder that the brownie has. They are rich and chewy, with a molasses-like flavor.

This recipe is so simple, using one bowl and taking just five minutes of prep time. They can be made with chocolate or butterscotch chips, or be minimalist with no mix-ins at all. Either way, they are truly delicious.

Blondies (from Simply Recipes)

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1/2 cup of butter, melted
1 cup of tightly packed dark brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon of baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/3 cup of chocolate chips (chopped walnuts and butterscotch chips are equally tasty)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour an 8X8 pan. Whisk together the melted butter and sugar in a bowl. Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, mix it all together. Add the butterscotch chips or other mix-ins. 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.