Dress your Blondies in ribbed paper and denim

"They punched me in the pecan, mom."

First, hello to anyone and everyone who is reading and was directed here by the ever kind Not Martha and Soundless Space. Thanks to you, I can return their dogs now.

I'm not a big chocolate fan. I don't expect you to care about that revelation, but I wanted to say it anyway. These, Martha Stewart's Blondies are great, because they have just enough chocolate in them but so much other stuff too, like coconut, toasted pecans, brown sugar, vanilla and glass.

They're also very quick to make, I used a hand mixer and spatula but a wooden spoon and hand action would work just as well. Most of the batter went into a square 8x8x2 pan, but some was dropped into paper liners. They baked up beautifully, transportable and cute. Perfect for theft, but even better for presentation -- I hate trying to cut things into bars, with raggedy, crumbled edges and bleeding filling. And that's just my personal shame.

Blonde leading the Blonde Bars
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Blondies recipe

1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup vanilla sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup chocolate chips (I used a mix of milk and semisweet)
2/3 cup toasted, coarsely chopped pecans
2/3 cup flaked, sweetened coconut
12-16 toasted pecan halves (optional)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Using a dab of butter, grease an 8x8 pan and set aside. Or place cupcake liners in an ungreased 12-cup tin.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, around 1-2 minutes depending on mixer speed. Add eggs, vanilla and salt and mix until just combined. Sift in flour and baking powder, mixing just until the flour is incorporated and a smooth, tan batter awaits -- you don't want to mix in too much air at this point. With a wooden spoon or spatula, fold in the chocolate, pecans and coconut.

If making bars, pull batter into the pan and spread smoothly with the back of a spatula. If making cups, scoop (I use a small cookie/ice-cream scoop) batter into lined cups and lightly press a pecan half on top of each one. If feeling bad about yourself and maybe remembering that One Day in 9th Grade, eat a few tablespoons of raw dough, quietly, in the coat closet. "Hi! Here's your scarf! Stop looking at my mouth!"

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes (cupcakes) and 35-40 minutes (8x8 pan), checking occasionally. They're done when golden brown and firm to the touch, but still soft in the middle.

Comments

[Kathy]

There's a trick to cutting bars. Learned this when I worked at a Mrs. Field's shop a long, long time ago. Make the bars and make sure to go on the slightly less baked side. Let it cool. Stick the whole pan in the refrigerator until everything is firm. Remove the whole thing from the pan (here's where parchment paper underneath might help), then plop onto a cutting board. *Then* cut the bars. Easy, and they come out picture perfect.

Of course, this assumes that you make the bars ahead of time (I know, crazy thinking here). But that's how you do it.

Oh, and your site rocks!

[Wende]

Your website is freakin brilliant. Of course, I'm about to be five pounds heavier, since I'm a classic first born brown noser who follows directions and will undoubtedly eat every one of the salt lick bars. You know, because you said so!

I'm off to express blogging love by linking! :D

[ann]

totally loving your site - you've got my three favorite things ... butter, confectioner's sugar and sarcasm!