Recipe from “The Cookiepedia” by Stacy Adimando (Quirk Books). Makes 2 dozen.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup toasted pecans, chopped
Coarse salt, for sprinkling
Directions
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When the foaming subsides, start swirling the pan. Continue swirling and cooking until the butter changes from light yellow to deep golden. Stop the moment the color changes. Take off the heat and pour it into a bowl to cool.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt.
Beat the butter and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla; beat several minutes, until the mixture is thick and silky. Add the dry ingredients, a third at a time. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans. The batter will be very stiff. Grease a 9-by13-inch pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper, and grease it too. Scrape batter into the pan, spreading it with a spatula or moist hands. Bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Sprinkle with coarse salt. Cool completely. Cut in squares.
Variations: Make Candy Bar Blondies by mixing in roughly chopped candy bars. Or use white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts, and call them Platinum Blondies.
