Black and White Blondies

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted here. Don’t worry, I have been baking (I’m sure you were). This recipe was made an enjoyed several weeks ago; I’m playing catch-up with getting it posted. My paying job was taking up a lot more of my time. We were nearing a project deadline and an already stressful job got even more so.

Some staff were visiting from other branches. One of them is a friend who normally hears about my baking but doesn’t get to try it. So I asked her what she might like me to make and bring in. She said something chocolate. Of course! I’m pretty sure chocolate has magical stress curing powers.

I knew I needed something easy to bake on a weeknight that would also be sturdy enough to travel to the office and able to sit out a room temperature all day. I decided to flip through my vintage copy of the Pillsbury Best of the Bake-Off Collection from 1959 for inspiration. Times were certainly different then – way more baking with margarine and many woman were listed with their husband’s full name (like poor Mrs. Otto S. Wagner, yikes). I even found a hilarious recipe called “Beaucatcher Brownies”. I strongly believe in baking and cooking for the ones you love, but I’m not sure brownies are the best way to find the right boyfriend.

It did help me decide on blondies as the best bet though! Blondies checked all the boxes – chocolate, sturdy, and served at room temp. They are also super delicious. Rather than get too fancy, I decided to mix them up by just using half white chocolate and half bittersweet. I love that combination of chocolates in a cookie.

Everyone at work agreed that these were delicious. I was told I should call them Crack Blondies, but I didn’t want to give anyone the wrong idea. And I’m certainly not going to suggest they’ll help you in the romance department. But they are a great addition to any pot-luck or picnic you may be planning this summer. Enjoy!

Black and White Blondies
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof
Makes about 16 servings

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
• 8 oz white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9 by 13 inch pan with a piece of parchment paper or tin foil, leaving over hang on one side to create a sling. Lightly grease the parchment with softened butter (or spray with non-stick cooking spray if you prefer).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and add eggs one at a time. Beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the vanilla and mix until fully incorporated.

With the mixture on low, slowly add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand with a rubber spatula.

Spread the mixture into the prepared pan (it will be quite thick) and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Err on the side of under baking rather than over baking – no one wants a dry blondie!

Set pan on a wire rack, and let cool completely. Using the parchment sling, lift blondies from pan and transfer to a cutting board; cut into squares.

Store well-wrapped at room temperature.