AuthorSarah RacineYield- 24 total brownies, 2 inch squares
Blondies are the paler, buttery vanilla cousin to the ubiquitous brownie. With delicious brown sugar, caramel notes and the most addictive chewy texture, blondies are a delightful bar cookie that mix well with any additions. No special equipment or ingredients needed, making this the perfect pantry treat to whip up at a moment's notice for a crowd.
350F, or 325F convection, middle rack
Grease and line the bottom of a large sheet pan or 9 x 13 pan with parchment that sticks out of each edge for easy removal.
In a 5-6 quart bowl, mix in this order.
-brown sugar and melted butter- whisk until smooth, for 5 minutes . This might seem like a long time to mix, but this long mixing time helps ensure that the tops of your brownies will be shiny and crackly.
-Egg and extract, whisk until very smooth, for 3 minutes .
-Take all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) and whisk in a separate bowl for 30 seconds to combine. This might seem superfluous, but this process helps to properly suspend ingredients of different densities.
-Switch to silicone spatula or wooden spoon before mixing dry ingredients!
-Gently stir in dry ingredients until batter just comes together, 45 seconds , DO NOT OVERMIX! You want to develop as little gluten as possible to prevent a tough and dry texture.
Once all dry pockets are gone, feel free to add mix-ins if you desire.
-Pour batter into prepared pan and spread batter evenly to each corner of the pan to ensure an even top.
-Bake in the oven until edges are set, and the middle of the brownies spring back slightly when lightly poked. A skewer test should yield a clean prick as well. This should take about 25 minutes.
Let cool to room temperature before cutting.
-To ensure clean cuts, make sure your blondies are completely cool.
-For pristine cuts: Remove the blondies from the pan completely and place the slab on a cutting board. Use a large chef's knife and dip your knife completely in hot water, dry, and make one long straight cut, dipping and drying between each cut. This cutting hack will work almost as well if the blondies remain in the pan, if desired.
Do you want to build your own variation?
You can use up to 2 tsp of any extract you desire. You can mix and match, using 1 tsp of multiple complementary flavors, such as vanilla & almond, coffee & hazelnut, etc.). Another fun variation is to do 1 cup white chocolate and 1 cup dark chocolate, either chips or chopped chunks. Butterscotch chips and flaked coconut is another excellent addition. Toasted pecans add crunch and balance to blondies, as do walnuts.
Need inspiration? These are a great place to start!
Autumn Blondies
Use 2 tsp of cinnamon extract while mixing. Include 1/2 cup each toasted pecans, toasted pumpkin seeds, butterscotch chips, and semisweet chocolate chips as mix-ins.
Tropical Blondies
Use 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp coconut extract while mixing. Include 1/2 cup each toasted macadamia nuts, coconut chips, and white chocolate chips as mix-ins. Once batter is in the pan, top with 1 cup of coconut flakes spread along the top of the pan.
Ingredients
Directions
350F, or 325F convection, middle rack
Grease and line the bottom of a large sheet pan or 9 x 13 pan with parchment that sticks out of each edge for easy removal.
In a 5-6 quart bowl, mix in this order.
-brown sugar and melted butter- whisk until smooth, for 5 minutes . This might seem like a long time to mix, but this long mixing time helps ensure that the tops of your brownies will be shiny and crackly.
-Egg and extract, whisk until very smooth, for 3 minutes .
-Take all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) and whisk in a separate bowl for 30 seconds to combine. This might seem superfluous, but this process helps to properly suspend ingredients of different densities.
-Switch to silicone spatula or wooden spoon before mixing dry ingredients!
-Gently stir in dry ingredients until batter just comes together, 45 seconds , DO NOT OVERMIX! You want to develop as little gluten as possible to prevent a tough and dry texture.
Once all dry pockets are gone, feel free to add mix-ins if you desire.
-Pour batter into prepared pan and spread batter evenly to each corner of the pan to ensure an even top.
-Bake in the oven until edges are set, and the middle of the brownies spring back slightly when lightly poked. A skewer test should yield a clean prick as well. This should take about 25 minutes.
Let cool to room temperature before cutting.
-To ensure clean cuts, make sure your blondies are completely cool.
-For pristine cuts: Remove the blondies from the pan completely and place the slab on a cutting board. Use a large chef's knife and dip your knife completely in hot water, dry, and make one long straight cut, dipping and drying between each cut. This cutting hack will work almost as well if the blondies remain in the pan, if desired.
Do you want to build your own variation?
You can use up to 2 tsp of any extract you desire. You can mix and match, using 1 tsp of multiple complementary flavors, such as vanilla & almond, coffee & hazelnut, etc.). Another fun variation is to do 1 cup white chocolate and 1 cup dark chocolate, either chips or chopped chunks. Butterscotch chips and flaked coconut is another excellent addition. Toasted pecans add crunch and balance to blondies, as do walnuts.
Need inspiration? These are a great place to start!
Autumn Blondies
Use 2 tsp of cinnamon extract while mixing. Include 1/2 cup each toasted pecans, toasted pumpkin seeds, butterscotch chips, and semisweet chocolate chips as mix-ins.
Tropical Blondies
Use 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp coconut extract while mixing. Include 1/2 cup each toasted macadamia nuts, coconut chips, and white chocolate chips as mix-ins. Once batter is in the pan, top with 1 cup of coconut flakes spread along the top of the pan.
