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La Belle Cuisine
Life
with Blondies
by Lisa Yockelson
Chocolatier July 1999
“The blondie, that golden bar cookie, is a sweet package that neatly combines
the qualities of buttery, chewy and dense in a simple-to-mix bakery treat. With
intriguing undertones of butterscotch and caramel, a blondie batter can wrap
itself around an entire range of fruit, candy and nuts in the most appealing,
and irresistible ways.
Basic to a blondie batter is a classic list of baking staples – unsalted butter,
sugar, flour, eggs, flavoring extract and leavening. When combined, these form
a somewhat thick, reasonably sturdy mixture which bakes into moist, sultry
squares
or bars. The key to a knockout blondie is moistness combined with chewiness. This is achieved by using butter in the melted state, by incorporating
a small amount of leavening to develop the texture, by juggling the quantity of
flour
and amount of eggs, and by adding taste-heightening ingredients (like sweetened, flaked coconut) that promote a chewy-compact ‘crumb.’
The body and substance of blondie batters is created by the addition of coconut,
chopped nuts or flavored chips and, occasionally, a generous amount of chopped
candy. The nuts and chips season every bite of a blondie. Candy bars, cut into
small chunks, become pools of sweetness and texture (in a creamy, crispy or
chewy way) as the pieces meld into the batter as it bakes. Apart from actually
determining the taste of the batter, these components add bulk which, in the
end, designs and shapes the baked bars.
Here are recipes for sweetly rich and substantial blondies. They’ll fill up
the
cookie tin nicely.”
Coconut and Caramel Blondies
Yield: 16
blondies
Preparation: About 25 minutes, plus baking and cooling times
Blondie batter:
1 cup bleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cake flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter,
such as Land O’Lakes,
melted and
cooled to tepid
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Caramel topping:
16 vanilla-flavored caramels
(5.2 ounces total weight)
2 tablespoons light cream
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make the blondies:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the inside of an 8-inch
square baking
pan with nonstick cooking spray. The pan should be
thoroughly coated, as the blondie batter tends to stick. Set aside.
2. Sift the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and
cinnamon onto a sheet of waxed paper.
3. Blend together the melted butter and dark brown sugar in a medium
bowl. Whisk
in the eggs and vanilla extract.
4. Stir in the sifted mixture, blending until all the particles of flour are
absorbed. Stir in the coconut and walnuts. The batter will be thick
and
slightly
glossy.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 25 to 30
minutes, or
until set. Let the blondies stand in the pan on a
cooling rack while you prepare
the topping.
Make the caramel topping:
6. Place the caramels, cream and nutmeg in a small heavy saucepan (preferably
enameled cast iron). Set over moderately low heat and
cook slowly to dissolve
the caramels, stirring from time to time.
When the
caramels are completely dissolved (in about 8 minutes),
and the mixture is
smooth, remove from the heat and stir in the
vanilla extract. The caramel
mixture will be thick.
7. Immediately spoon the warm caramel topping over the surface of
the
uncut
blondies in wide, patchy drizzles. Cool completely. With
a small,
sharp knife. Cut the entire “cake” into 4 quarters, then cut
each quarter
into
4 pieces. Store the blondies in an airtight container.
Toffee Almond Blondies
Yield 16
blondies
Preparation: About 15 minutes, plus baking and cooling times
1 cup cake flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter,
such as Land O’Lakes,
melted and
cooled to tepid
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
5 bars (1.4 ounces each) milk chocolate toffee,
(such as Heath® Milk Chocolate
English Toffee
or Skor®), coarsely chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted and cooled
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the inside of a 9-inch
square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. The pan should be thoroughly
coated, as the blondie batter tends to stick. Set aside.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper.
3. Blend together the melted butter, granulated sugar and light brown sugar
in a
medium bowl. Mix in the eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract.
4. Stir in the sifted mixture, blending until all particles of flour are
absorbed. Stir in the chopped toffee and slivered almonds.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan. Spread the batter evenly
in
the pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until softly set. Let the blondies
stand in
the
pan on a cooling rack. Cool thoroughly. The blondies are
buttery rich
and must
cool completely to cut neatly. With a small,
sharp
knife, cut the entire “cake”
into 4 quarters, then cut each
quarter into
4 pieces and remove with a small,
offset metal spatula.
Store the
blondies in an airtight container.
Miniature Chocolate Chip
and Walnut Blondies
Yield: 16
blondies
Preparation: About 15 minutes, plus baking and cooling times
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons bleached
all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter,
such as Land O’Lakes,
melted and
cooled to tepid
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnut halves and pieces
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the inside of an
8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. The pan should be
thoroughly coated, as the blondie batter tends to stick. Set aside.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper.
3. Blend together the melted butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar
in a
medium-size mixing bowl. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.
4. Stir in the sifted mixture, blending until all the particles of flour are
absorbed. Stir in the miniature chocolate chips and walnuts.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan. Spread the batter evenly
in
the pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until softly set. The edges of the
blondies
will be a pale golden color. Let the blondies stand in the pan
on a cooling
rack. Cool completely. With a small, sharp knife. Cut
the entire “cake”
into
4 quarters, then cut each quarter into 4 pieces.
Store the blondies
in an
airtight container.
Lisa Yockelson
is a baking journalist and the author
of 'Country Baking Treasury: Pies, Cakes, Cookies,
'Layer Cakes and Sheet Cakes' and the IACP
Award-winning 'Baking by Flavor
'.
 
Life with
Blondies, Part 2!
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Maida Heatter's Blondies
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