Blondie

If you have never had a blondie, you will after your read this post. ‘Tis the holiday season and I have been getting in the mood to make cookies for family and friends. I typically make one or two types of cookies each year, and let my wife handle the sugar cookies, and decorating of those cookies with the kids. For the past year or possibly longer, my kids have turned their attention to the chocolate chip. I probably should have never made them chocolate chip pancakes for dinner one night, as now, they refuse to eat plain waffles or pancakes with syrup. They must be chocolate chip waffles, or they refuse to eat breakfast. I kid you not. As I decided to hide the bag of chocolate chips from them, I decided it was the holiday season and I would make them something with chocolate chips, because, heck, why  not, right?

But there is a catch to the chocolate chip offering. I had to put something special in this blondie I was making. A surprise, if you will.

A traditional blondie is basically a brownie like bar, that focuses on the wonderful flavor of brown sugar, however, as I am, I have to put a little twist on the blondie, and add chips and nuts, to give it a bit more flavor and texture. Don’t get me wrong, a classic blondie is so terribly addicting, much like these chocolate chip blondies, and really simple to make, that your kids will be coming back for more, and more, and …

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup of unsalted butter, melted
• 2 1/4 cups of light brown sugar, packed
• 3 whole eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup of chocolate chip morsels
• 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts
• 1 tbsp butter

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. To a large mixing bowl, add the butter and brown sugar, and mix well until it is nice and creamy. Your mixer can be set on medium-low. Drop in one egg at a time, until it folds into the mixture, and repeat with the remaining eggs. Add in the vanilla extract.  Turn the mixer to low, and to another bowl, add in your dry ingredients, and mix with a fork.

Bring the mixer back to a medium-low speed, and slowly mix in your dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides, and mix well until everything is nicely incorporated. Now, slowly fold in the chocolate chips and the walnuts.

Take your one tablespoon of butter, and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish. Pour the batter into the baking dish, and smooth it out so it is nice and even.

Place the dish into your oven, and cook for roughly 25-35 minutes, depending on your oven. You can check the blondie at about 25 minutes into it. I poke a knife or toothpick down the center to make sure it comes out clean. You will also notice the edges begin to pull away from the sides.

Once cooked, remove from the oven, take in the wonderful aroma, and then wait until it cools down; about 25 minutes or so. Cut them into bars, and enjoy.

Once my kids noticed the chocolate chips in and around the bars, they quickly asked for one. At first, my oldest, and probably the pickiest eater, asked “what is in here?”. I gave him the ingredient breakdown, and after I slowly said the word walnuts, he replied “these rock, can I have another!?”. The blondie was sold to the kids, nuts and all, but now I am curious if they never saw the chocolate chips in the bar, would they have ever wanted one?  Enjoy, and happy holidays.