Blondies

I have the lucky priviledge of having my parents and my husband’s parents living close by. And I love it, because my kids get to spend time with both grandparents, something I wish I had growing up. This Mother’s Day, I had the pleasure of having my in-laws over for dinner and I decided to make this for dessert.

If I were to create a family tree with desserts, I would say that blondies are brownies’ cousin. They have so many similarities–from their chewy and fudgy texture to the unlimited add-ons and mix-ins. And, of course, they are made in a bar pan. (I have seen brownies in cupcake form, and you can try them here, but most are not. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen blondies in a cupcake. Hmmm….an idea to try another time for sure!)

Anyway, what I love about these blondies is that they have EVERYTHING–nuts, chocolate, white chocolate, coconut, and caramel. You can’t go wrong with this recipe.

Feel free to substitute the nuts with your favorite, or add more chocolate chips if you don’t care for nuts. You can’t go wrong. Enjoy! xoxo

Blondies

1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter

3 c firmly packed brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 T pure vanilla extract

2 c all-purpose flour

¾ t baking powder

1 ½ c pecan halves

1 ½ c walnut halves

1 c shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

1 package Heath Tidbits

1 c white chocolate chips

1 c semisweet or dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans and walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 7-9 minutes. Cool completely.

Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat. Stirring constantly, cook the butter and brown sugar until completely dissolved and small bubbles start to appear. Remove from heat and let cool until the sides of the sauce pan are cool to the touch. (If it is not cool enough, the chocolate chips will melt when they are combined.)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla, and salt. Slowly add the cooled butter and brown sugar, whisking until all is incorporated. Gently whisk in the flour and baking soda. Whisk until just combined. Add remaining ingredients and fold with a wooden spoon until all is incorporated and even dispersed.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a wooden spoon. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes with a few crumbs attached. Let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares and serving.

adapted from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey