Blondies resemble brownies in texture and flavor, however they are bars with a butterscotch flavor. Upon seeing how easy and adaptable these are, I am nearly promising you that they will become one of your regular baking recipes going forward.
Blondies in close-up
Here is the exact recipe for Blondies as seen on Smitten Kitchen. This is all the information you need to get in the kitchen right now if you are a huge fan of Smitten Kitchen like me 🙂.
Sharing a recipe without making some kind of adjustment is a very unusual occurrence for me. You don’t need to fumble with a recipe when it’s this easy and delicious. I’ve tried fiddling with other blondie recipes, but they were more complicated and didn’t turn out well.
This is just to say “thank you” to Deb for the fantastic Blondie recipe! Your Blueberry Pie, New York Crumb Cake, and Challah recipes are much appreciated.
The Flavor of Blondies
Blondies are supposedly called for the fact that they are lighter in color than traditional chocolate brownies. They feature the characteristic paper-thin crackly exterior, somewhat crispy edges, and a moreishly chewy center, much like brownies.
However, their flavor is more reminiscent of butterscotch than white chocolate. Because browned butter, rather of plain melted butter, is used in this recipe, the end result is a butterscotch flavor. So, basically, all you have to do is boil melted butter for a few minutes before incorporating it into the batter for an extra-nutty, buttery taste.
And trust me, it will be worthwhile. Enjoy better taste with less more work. I simply melt the butter in a pot over low heat, then line the pan with foil and gather the other ingredients. Workflow is running well.
Brown butter is as easy as melting butter and simmering it for a few minutes.
Blondie Recipe Ingredients
The white chocolate chips and walnuts are optional. Think of something else to use instead of what you have. This is a great recipe to use up any extra nuts or fruit you may have on hand.
Unsalted butter, room temperature from the fridge. No bending over backwards here; that’s fantastic!
Light brown sugar and ordinary brown sugar are both types of brown sugar. Although blondies would turn out whiter using light brown sugar, the butterscotch flavor is better with ordinary brown sugar. You won’t get the same flavor by using white sugar.
Never use self-rising flour, which already contains baking powder and will cause the flour to rise artificially. Instead, use plain or all-purpose flour.
One “large egg” (about 50g or 2 oz), marketed in “large eggs” cartons or 1.2 kg for a dozen, is an egg. Just chill it in the fridge; there’s no need to thaw it beforehand.
Flavor enhancer: vanilla extract. Instead of using vanilla essence, which is just an imitation, use vanilla extract. In my opinion, the vanilla beans used in this recipe are too expensive to be wasted.
Optional: sea salt flakes to sprinkle on top, or coarse salt grains (kosher or cooking salt) to include into the batter.
Bonus Ingredients: Substitute 1 1/2 cups of your favorite ingredient that you believe complements the butterscotch or caramel flavors! Consider these recommendations.
As a tribute to classic chocolate brownies, they include white chocolate chips and walnuts.
If you’re looking for a simpler alternative to Byron Bay’s White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies, try this recipe using white chocolate and macadamia nuts. It’s delicious!
Chopped dates, sultans, raisins, and prunesSticky Date Pudding sounds good to me.
No one ever said that dried apples wouldn’t go well with caramel!
Peanuts—I mean, really, peanuts with caramel? I always get it right!
Bars made with chocolate peanut butter, peanuts, and chocolate chips (and five times easier to whip up than the real thing!)
Cookies in general or Biscoff in particular—why not? Chunks of cookie are in your ice cream!
Those delicious berries! Defrosted or not. In my opinion, raspberries would be the most delicious.
Otherwise, I will never go to the creating stage, so I will end it there. 🙂 However, the point is made. If it complements caramel, go ahead and add it!
Blondie Recipe Instructions
Just in case you didn’t get my little diatribe up there, browning the butter is essential. The flavor is enhanced to an unlimited degree, but it’s as easy as simmering water in a pot!
To make the butter simmer, melt it over medium-high heat, ideally in a silver saucepan*. If necessary, reduce the heat to a simmer after the butter has melted. It will get frothy and spit softly, but don’t be alarmed; it’s harmless.
*A non-black saucepan is ideal for this since the following step is to look for golden flecks, which indicate it’s done.
What to look for while browning butter – To get a nutty aroma and little golden specks (which may be seen through a layer of froth), simmer the butter for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring once every minute or so.
Pour it into a mixing dish immediately after cooking, being careful to scrape in any golden pieces!
COMPLETE THE BATTER
After you’ve mixed the sugar into the butter, let it three minutes to cool.
Add the egg and vanilla extract to the mixture and stir to combine. Remix after adding salt and flour. Toss in the walnuts and chocolate chips (or any other toppings you like) and stir until combined. The consistency will be thick, similar to cookie dough that may be rolled out.
BAKE!
Before baking, press the mixture into a pan coated with parchment paper that measures 20 cm/8 inches. If you want to avoid inverting it and instead pull it out, leave plenty of paper overhang.
Cook for 25 minutes, or until a little golden tint appears around the edges and a thin crackly surface forms (similar to brownies!). In the center, they will feel somewhat underdone, which is really a wonderful thing! Their intended texture is rather chewy and sticky on the inside. Dry blondes are hated by everyone!
If you’re using salt flakes, sprinkle them on top. Ten minutes after they’ve cooled in the pan, remove with the paper overhang; let cool for another ten minutes; then cut into sixteen standard squares or nine enormous pieces. You may skip the second 10-minute cooling period if you’re in a rush, but be prepared for some smeary cutting. Then I am speaking from personal experience, of all things. No, patience isn’t one of my strongest suits!
Stack of Blondies
Just bring them to book club. For morning tea, this is the perfect accompaniment. Slip them into lunch sacks. And go on journeys by car!
When you want to serve it “properly” instead than eating it with your hands, I can see it as a plated dessert. I’d put it on a platter, reheat it just a little, then top it with ice cream, chopped nuts, and hot butterscotch sauce (follow this recipe for the sauce).
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