Among the many confections to come and go, brownies are an all-time favorite thanks to their simplicity and delicious chocolate base. But lately, they have been facing tough competition -- and not just from other confections. They are actually facing it in the form of Blondies. These knockoffs are pretty self-explanatory and have most of the attributes of their counterpart.

Blondies are also growing in popularity among confection lovers. Today's recipe will shed light on how to make Blondies in the kitchen (see what I did there). Included are some variations to try out for the fun of it.

The recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup castor sugar
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 1/2 cup white Chocolate chips
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Butter as needed

Directions:

  1. Preheat an oven to 180°C. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Do not let it brown. Quickly remove the melted butter from the heat once it fully melts.
  2. Pour the sugar, salt and baking powder into a medium-size bowl. Whisk the melted butter into the dry mixture and keep whisking until smooth with no lumps. Whisk in the eggs and the vanilla and keep whisking until smooth.
  3. Whisk in the flour in stages until a thick dough-like mixture forms. Add the chocolate chips and gently fold them in using a wooden spoon.
  4. Grease a baking tray -- lined with parchment paper -- with a knob of butter. Transfer the dough to the pan using the spoon, scraping down the sides of the bowl to remove any leftover dough. Spread the dough throughout the pan and smooth down the surface evenly with the spoon. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  5. Set to cool, then cut into 16 even squares or 8 even rectangles. Serve.

Recipe variations

  • Congo Bars: Substitute regular chocolate chips for the white chocolate chips and add 1/4 cup of walnuts during Step 3.
  • Raisins: Add 1/2 cup of raisins during Step 3.
  • Craisins: Add 1/2 cup of craisins (dried cranberries) during Step 3.
  • Pecans: Add 1/2 cup of roasted pecans during Step 3.
  • Espresso: Add 2 teaspoons of espresso powder during Step 2.
  • Macaroon: Add 2 tbsp of sweetened condensed milk along with the other wet ingredients during Step 2. Add 1/2 cup of shredded coconut during Step 3.
  • Alcohol: Add 1/4 cup of rum, liquor, whiskey, brandy, bourbon, etc. during Step 2.
  • Toffee: Melt both the butter and sugar together in a saucepan during Step 1.
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