Blondies                     September, 2015.

Fat Witch Blonde Babies have created family battles. I now package a separate gift box of wrapped Blonde Babies for the Indiana folks who are willing to go to fist-to-cuffs. When we hiked in Glacier National Park last summer, I doled these goodies out as if dispensing royal favors.

My secret is to add a touch of molasses. It ramps up the sweet taste. These are probably the second most popular item at our Chelsea Market bakery (after our original Fat Witch Baby, of course). Bake and eat within 2 days if you’re not wrapping them tightly (as we do at the bakery). They do tend to get dry on the edges quickly.

 
This recipe is on pages 30 and 31 of Fat Witch Brownies (cookbook #1).

• Ingredients
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted
    butter at room temperature
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 ¼ cups gently packed light brown
    sugar
• 1 tablespoon molasses 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose
    flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• â…” cup semisweet chocolate chips
    or chunks

• Directions
• Preheat the oven to 350 ℉.
• Grease a 9" square baking pan with butter
• Dust the pan with flour and tap out the excess.
• Cream the butter and eggs in a large bowl.
• Beat in the sugar, molasses and vanilla until well combined.
• Measure the flour, salt and baking soda and sift together directly into the butter mixture.
• Mix the batter until blended and no trace of the dry ingredients remains.
• Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
• Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the middles comes out clean or with only crumbs.
• Remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a rack for at least 1 hour.
• Cut just before serving (and eat within 2 days).