A couple weeks ago, I was baking chocolate chip cookies with kids in summer camp, and our baking conditions were rudimentary, to say the least.
We needed to bake 48 cookies in a convection oven large enough to bake, say, 2 pans of 12 cookies. So, simple math, half the batter was in, half was out.
What to do? I poured the remaining batter into the little tray with sides that goes into the convection oven. And, guys, it was fabulous. This is the one the kids wanted: The Blondie Bar.
Back home, even with all the oven room I needed, I tinkered with the recipe, to obtain a sort of cookie tart that with give me more dramatic presentation that the humble cookie. I thought the amount of sweetness that worked so well for Chocolate Chip Cookies needed to be reduced for the perfect bar.
So I cut the sugar by half and never looked back, left everything else exactly as is, folded toasted walnuts into poured the batter into a tart pan, and waited impatiently for my blondies. Yum!
Since my taste is always for a decidedly less sweet flavor, I greatly welcome the blondie variation.
Ingredients:
2 eggs
¾ cup packed brown sugar or Sucanat
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2½ cups flour: all-purpose, whole wheat pastry, or spelt
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips, best quality
½ chopped toasted walnuts or pecans, optional (12 minutes in a 325 degree oven)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Cream the eggs and sugars in a food processor or with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the oil and vanilla and mix in thoroughly. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and pulse (or mix at low speed) until just combined. Fold in the chips and nuts (if using) by hand.
Pour the batter into a greased 12 inch round or square pan (or the closest you have). Bake 15 minutes. Let it cool. Cut into bars or wedges. Do NOT refrigerate. Store at room temperature, or freeze, tightly wrapped.
Veteran Chef Levana Kirschenbaum is a pioneer in Kosher upscale dining and has gained a following for her fearless, practical and nutritious approach to cooking. She wrote 4 popular cookbooks (her latest: The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen), gives private demos and cooking classes in New York City and around the country. Find out more at levanacooks.com
gonna make it for yom tov. hay commenter # 3 is a real downer. sure you want to go into the new year being such a grump.
so old recipe and its well known, comeon Levana you can do much better than that!!!
Finally a recipe that has spelt flour listed!
I’m starving! Yum!