Brownies & Blondies, Part 2

So as inexperienced as I am in making brownies, I'm even more inexperienced when it comes to blondies.  The funny part is, I'm not a huge chocolate fan and I like a well-made blondie more than pretty much any brownie I've ever had.  There's also something great about making blondies for other people - they're very unexpected because people don't bake them as much as brownies.

I went back to the Better Homes & Gardens New Baking Book for this recipe.  It's another one bowl (saucepan) recipe, just like the brownies.  The smell of the brown sugar and butter melting together is heavenly...it smells (and tastes!) just like the caramel on the outside of my dad's caramel covered marshmallows.  Once you get those melted together, it takes maybe 10 minutes to finish the recipe, pour it into the 9"x13" pan and put it in the oven.  Super easy, but so good.  They end up having a very strong caramel/butterscotch flavor, which I love.

I didn't make any changes to the recipe at all this time, since it was my first attempt.  I'm thinking about breaking up some toffee bit and sprinkling them on top or mixing them in.  Thoughts?

Brownies & Blondies, Part 1

I am a fan of the blondie and brownie, but I haven't spent much time making them. Most of my time and efforts have been focused on the humble cookie...or the more spectacular cake (although my cakes don't quite reach "spectacular"...yet). Whenever I want to learn a recipe, or just need a quick recipe that I know people will like, I reach for the Better Homes & Gardens New Baking Book. Unfortunately for those who don't already own it, this book was taken out of print recently - which I discovered when I tried to buy a copy for a friend for Christmas. Boo. Find a used copy if you can, because it's great!

Anyway....so when I decided it was time to make brownies, I reached for the "Easy Fudge Brownies" recipe. This is a great recipe because it's one bowl - not even a bowl, but a saucepan. I love one bowl recipes...so much less to clean up! These are great, if basic, brownies. They're also easy to change up - I mixed in some mint chocolate chips at the very end, and they baked up perfectly.