I can’t believe its been so long since a blog posting! I suppose starting a new job and the craziness of the holidays has kept me away. Nevertheless, I’m coming back to postings and trying to find more quick, delicious meals that are easy for anyone to make. I’m planning on listing the recent “fancy” Valentine’s dinner for two that I made last week, so stay tuned. (It sounds fancy, but was pretty quick and easy, and perfect for any special dinner.) I’ll also be looking into posting healthy weeknight stuff that will help trim that post-holiday bulge. Until then, a dessert that you can prep in 10 minutes. (Pictures to come soon.)
My hankerings for a quick sweet fix often involve chocolate and/or brownies. When I worked at Clementine, we used to have these thick, buttery blonde brownies that I loved. This is a similar recipe, but with pecans and some dark chocolate chunks, making for a cross between a chewy chocolate chip cookie and a blonde brownie. You can go without the chocolate and up the chopped nuts, or double the recipe in the same size cooking pan for an extra thick brown sugar bar. Either way, you’re only about half an hour, start to finish, from a yummy homemade dessert. Top the warm brownies off with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge, and you’re in a little bit of heaven.
Blonde Brownies
serves 8
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 20-25 minutes
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
⅛ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup melted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup chocolate chunks (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter and the brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar. Stir in the flour mixture, just until combined. Add the pecans and chocolate. Spread evenly into a 9x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Cut with a plastic knife or spatula when cool.
My hankerings for a quick sweet fix often involve chocolate and/or brownies. When I worked at Clementine, we used to have these thick, buttery blonde brownies that I loved. This is a similar recipe, but with pecans and some dark chocolate chunks, making for a cross between a chewy chocolate chip cookie and a blonde brownie. You can go without the chocolate and up the chopped nuts, or double the recipe in the same size cooking pan for an extra thick brown sugar bar. Either way, you’re only about half an hour, start to finish, from a yummy homemade dessert. Top the warm brownies off with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge, and you’re in a little bit of heaven.
Blonde Brownies
serves 8
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 20-25 minutes
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
⅛ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup melted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup chocolate chunks (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter and the brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar. Stir in the flour mixture, just until combined. Add the pecans and chocolate. Spread evenly into a 9x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Cut with a plastic knife or spatula when cool.
