This blog is dedicated to giving recipes, hints and tips for everyday celebration, creating that meals can be spiritual, social, succulent, simple and special. This is truly an important goal.
Yet for all of the importance of this blog's purpose, I have added few new posts so far in 2010. What's going on? Do I not understand the importance of everyday celebrations?
Actually, what's been going on is that I do understand the importance of everyday celebrations. The first two months of this year have been filled with church obligations, family obligations, three blizzards and more. I have had many critical, short-term responsibilities that have filled my days.
I had a choice: I could continue to post to this blog, taking the critical time necessary to produce it well. Or I could re-direct that time to make sure that our family continued to have everyday celebrations. Should I write about the importance of everyday celebrations, or actually make sure our family has them?
The choice was obvious. And the lack of new posts in the last two months reveals the choice I made.
I posted a delicious recipe for one of my favorite desserts -- chocolate chip blondies (recipe below). I'll also be trying out some new recipes this week, and if they turn out to taste delicious, I will post them as well. I also plan to devote more time to research and writing, so you should see the fruit of that work in the coming weeks and months.
As important as this blog is, even more important is that I practice what I preach.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Chocolate Chip Blondies
I love blondies. Let me modify that: I love some blondies. Blondies at their best are moist, chewy, sweet-but-not-too-sweet and satisfying. I have eaten blondies at some bakeries, coffee shops and restaurants that just do not measure up. I have tried to choke down bone dry blondies. I have wondered whether my teeth would shatter when I have bitten into some hard-as-rock blondies. I have wondered whether my teeth would develop instant cavities as I munched on some way-too-sweet blondies.
Just as I have been disappointed in some blondies I have purchased, I have also been disappointed in every blondie recipe I have come across. Each seemed to be missing something.
And yet, there are times when I absolutely crave a blondie. What to do? I realized that my only option was to develop my own blondie recipe.
But first, a warning: if you are looking for a quick dessert you can whip up in a flash, this blondie recipe is not it. This recipe calls for two different waiting periods that can seem to take forever, but the wait is necessary. Trust me, these blondies are worth the time.
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick) – plus about ½ tablespoon room-temperature butter for greasing the pan
2/3 cups brown sugar – packed (I use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar is fine)
¼ cup sugar
1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips (I prefer semi-sweet chocolate)
Melt butter in a large, heavy saucepan. When the butter has melted, increase the heat to medium-high and boil while stirring constantly, until the butter has turned a golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. (Be sure not to let the butter burn.) Remove the butter from heat.
Add the brown sugar and sugar and stir until well incorporated. Cool for at least 10 minutes; this is the first critically important waiting period.*
While the butter and sugars mixture cools, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 2-3 inch overhang on two opposite sides of the pan (you will use this overhang later as a handle). Grease the foil with the ½ tablespoon of room-temperature butter.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a large sieve or sifter. Sift this dry ingredient combination into a large bowl; set aside.
When the butter and sugars mixture is cool, add the egg, egg yolk, corn syrup and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Then, while stirring, slowly add the flour combination. Finally add the pecans and chocolate chips; mix lightly until well incorporated. Pour the batter into the foil-lined pan, being sure to scrape so you get every drop of batter possible. Spread the batter to the edges of the pan to form an even layer.
Bake for 28-32 minutes, until the top is golden brown. To be sure the blondies are baked through, insert a toothpick in the middle; if it comes out clean, it’s done.
Then for the second critically important waiting period: place the pan on a wire rack for 40 minutes to an hour until the blondies are cooled completely. I know you’ll be tempted to eat right away; the smell is wonderful. But if you do not wait, the blondies will crumble. While they will still taste good, they won’t look their best.
After the blondies have cooled, use the foil overhang “handles” to lift the blondies out of the pan and unto a cutting board. Peel off the foil and cut into bars. I like nice big bars, so I cut the blondies into 9 squares.
Enjoy!
*If you do not let the butter and sugars mixture cool before adding the rest of the ingredients, the eggs may begin to cook resulting in scrambled eggs (not what you’re looking for here!) and/or the chocolate chips may melt. While the resulting chocolate streaked bars look interesting, the taste is not nearly as good. So be patient and let this mixture cool before continuing; your patience will be rewarded!
Just as I have been disappointed in some blondies I have purchased, I have also been disappointed in every blondie recipe I have come across. Each seemed to be missing something.
And yet, there are times when I absolutely crave a blondie. What to do? I realized that my only option was to develop my own blondie recipe.
But first, a warning: if you are looking for a quick dessert you can whip up in a flash, this blondie recipe is not it. This recipe calls for two different waiting periods that can seem to take forever, but the wait is necessary. Trust me, these blondies are worth the time.
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick) – plus about ½ tablespoon room-temperature butter for greasing the pan
2/3 cups brown sugar – packed (I use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar is fine)
¼ cup sugar
1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips (I prefer semi-sweet chocolate)
Melt butter in a large, heavy saucepan. When the butter has melted, increase the heat to medium-high and boil while stirring constantly, until the butter has turned a golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. (Be sure not to let the butter burn.) Remove the butter from heat.
Add the brown sugar and sugar and stir until well incorporated. Cool for at least 10 minutes; this is the first critically important waiting period.*
While the butter and sugars mixture cools, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 2-3 inch overhang on two opposite sides of the pan (you will use this overhang later as a handle). Grease the foil with the ½ tablespoon of room-temperature butter.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a large sieve or sifter. Sift this dry ingredient combination into a large bowl; set aside.
When the butter and sugars mixture is cool, add the egg, egg yolk, corn syrup and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Then, while stirring, slowly add the flour combination. Finally add the pecans and chocolate chips; mix lightly until well incorporated. Pour the batter into the foil-lined pan, being sure to scrape so you get every drop of batter possible. Spread the batter to the edges of the pan to form an even layer.
Bake for 28-32 minutes, until the top is golden brown. To be sure the blondies are baked through, insert a toothpick in the middle; if it comes out clean, it’s done.
Then for the second critically important waiting period: place the pan on a wire rack for 40 minutes to an hour until the blondies are cooled completely. I know you’ll be tempted to eat right away; the smell is wonderful. But if you do not wait, the blondies will crumble. While they will still taste good, they won’t look their best.
After the blondies have cooled, use the foil overhang “handles” to lift the blondies out of the pan and unto a cutting board. Peel off the foil and cut into bars. I like nice big bars, so I cut the blondies into 9 squares.
Enjoy!
*If you do not let the butter and sugars mixture cool before adding the rest of the ingredients, the eggs may begin to cook resulting in scrambled eggs (not what you’re looking for here!) and/or the chocolate chips may melt. While the resulting chocolate streaked bars look interesting, the taste is not nearly as good. So be patient and let this mixture cool before continuing; your patience will be rewarded!
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