A very happy and festive 4th of July, American readers! Everyone else: hey, it’s still Friday, right? Win!
In case you’re looking for a last-minute sweet treat for your picnic or cookout (except this stupid Hurricane Arthur is really throwing off our festive groove, no?), here are the blondies that I have probably made more times in my life than any other dessert. They’ve accompanied me to birthday parties, holiday parties, high school theater rehearsals, dances, sleepovers, etc. etc., and I’ve probably made them more times than I can count. This is a formative dessert in the history of my baking career, is what I’m trying to say. Mom invented them while trying to use up some pantry leftovers, and we’ve never looked back, because why mess with perfection?
Chocolate Chip-Butterscotch-Toffee-Pecan Blondies
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 c. all-pupose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 c. butterscotch chips
2/3 c. toffee bits or crushed Heath bars
1 c. raw pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9 x 13″ Pyrex baking pan.
Combine butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, followed by the vanilla extract.
Sift together the dry ingredients. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Stir in the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, toffee bits, and pecans until evenly mixed.
Spread the mixture in a prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake in preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes until the top is golden and a tester inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean. Allow to cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.
Makes around 40 blondies.
*****
For our lingerie pairing, I decided to branch out to swimwear, because in theory it would be lovely if we were all spending a festive 4th of July keeping cool by the pool, but, alas: hurricane.
I love these polka dotted swimsuits from Esther Williams (via Modcloth). The size range is fantastic: styles are available from size 4 to 26, and y’all know I can’t resist a polka dot, especially in swimwear. Add in red, one of my absolute favorite colors, and one that’s totally on-point for July 4th? Perfection, just like Mom’s blondies.
