A lot of folks are intimidated by baking. There’s the measuring, mixing, creaming, leveling, cracking, sifting, pouring, shaping, rising, and baking. Don’t forget the burning!
Alas, I really love baking. I find it both challenging and therapeutic. I’ve gotten skilled enough at it that I rarely measure out liquid ingredients anymore. I can accurately gauge a cup of milk just by the speed and volume of the pour. Dry ingredients are another matter. I have a kitchen scale to weigh flour and sugar by the gram. I also use the scale to make perfectly proportioned cocktails as well as satisfy my fascination with how much things actually weigh. Iphone – 178 grams; lipstick – 69 g; 8 oz glass of water really does weigh 8 oz.
Why am I saying all this nonsense? I got lazy with the recipe. It was wonder enough that I turned on the stove, and I didn’t want a bevy of tools to disrupt this fragile momentum. So I tossed back the last bit of coffee in my mug, grabbed the flour from the cupboard and dipped the mug right in. Here’s my “cup.” I poured the flour into a mixing bowl. I dipped the cup into the flour again, but only halfway. Here’s my “half-cup.” Same for the sugar, butter and the rest of the ingredients. And you know what? They were phenomenal. Just ask my friend Ce Ce, the lucky recipient of 10 pieces. Or you can ask my fat ass, the lucky recipient of the remaining 26.
Easy, Tasty Blondies
1 c. walnuts or pecans, chopped and lightly toasted
1-1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
Whisk the above in a medium mixing bowl
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1-1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
Mix butter and sugar in a large bowl.
Add 2 lightly beaten eggs and 1 T. vanilla extract. Combine thoroughly.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overwork!
Then add 1/2 c. white and dark chocolate chips, and then the toasted nuts. Mix until chunky bits are well distributed.
Grease a 9 x 13″ baking pan and pour the thick batter into the pan. Spread the batter evenly.
Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Ovens are quirky fire breathing machines, so make sure you don’t over bake the blondies. Nothing’s worse. It’s done with the top has a touch of gold and a nice sheen. Sigh…
Cool in pan and cut into small squares. Devour with a cold glass of milk as an afternoon snack, or for breakfast with black coffee.
