Ingredients
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½ cup Salted Butter
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1 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
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1 Egg
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1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
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1 cup all-purpose Flour
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⅓ cup old-fashioned Oats
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¼ teaspoon Salt
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1 small tart green Apples
Directions
While I was in the process of writing this book, my wife would often leave notes for me hidden around the house before leaving for work in the morning. Eventually, I had a whole stack of them tucked behind my baking canisters. They were written in her handwriting on off-white paper, but the words weren’t hers. They were excerpts from emails and comments from readers I had received in all my years as a food writer. Not only was she reminding me of words I might have forgotten, but she was also reminding me why I do what I do every day. She was reminding me that there are readers and home cooks and families waiting on the other side of this book. She reminded me that this cookbook would be spread open on kitchen counters, splattered with blondie batter, and working hard alongside you to nourish others and create food memories. She reminded me that it’s never just me standing here in the kitchen and that, when it comes to food, we are never alone.
While unassuming and anything but fancy, blondies are one of the quickest, easiest homemade dessert recipes out there. I often whip up a batch of these rich, gooey bars when I’m in a pinch and in need of dessert in a hurry. I make several variations of blondies, keeping the same base recipe and changing up the mix-ins. This time, I added the extra step of browning the butter, and now I wonder why I never did this before. When the browned butter hits the brown sugar and vanilla, the fragrance of butterscotch fills the air. The batter was practically begging me for some tart apples. And finally I added some old-fashioned oats to help soak up the juices from the apple and add a slight chewy texture. I might even dare to suggest serving up a warm blondie with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and a sprinkle of sea salt.
Steps
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1
Done
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9" × 9" pan. |
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2
Done
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In a saucepan, cook the butter over medium-high heat until it bubbles up and begins to turn an amber color and becomes fragrant and nutty, being careful not to overcook. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. |
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3
Done
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In a mixing bowl, stir together the browned butter and the sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until smooth. Stir in the flour, oats, salt, and apple. Spread the batter into the pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until set on top and golden on the edges, but still somewhat gooey in the center. Allow the blondies to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting into bars. Great served warm or at room temperature. Best enjoyed the same day. |
