Blondies with White and Dark Chocolate Chips

These blondies are probably one my favorite desserts to make at home. They’re simple, easy, and absolutely fantastic. For those of you that don’t know, blondies are basically a cross between a brownie and a chocolate chip cookie that takes the best of both.

My friend’s wife introduced me to this type of blondie when I had the good fortune to try her version at a dinner party. When I badgered her relentlessly for the recipe, she pointed me in the direction of a Food Network recipe for Platinum Blondies that I haven’t been able to find online anymore.

This recipe adapts a Platinum Blondie recipe from the Food Network, which has nuts and unfortunately only uses white chocolate. I am also attempting to mimic my friend’s version, which combines the white chocolate with dark chocolate. Before you give up on this recipe because it has white chocolate in it, let me assure you that the you really don’t taste the white chocolate as a prominent flavor. Instead, it mixes with the dark chocolate and provides a wonderfully delicate creaminess to this deliciously decadent dessert.

Makes 12 blondies at 240 calories per piece.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups of flour (600 calories)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick of unsalted butter (800 calories)
• 3/4 cup of packed dark brown sugar (540 calories)
  Note: You can use light brown sugar, but you’ll need a little more (like 1 cup) and you might not get those caramelized notes you get with dark brown sugar.
• 1 large egg (70 calories)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (24 calories)
• 2 oz. white chocolate chips (420 calories)
• 2 oz. dark chocolate chips (420 calories)
• A little bit of extra butter, vegetable oil, or cooking spray to grease the baking dish

Equipment

• Large bowl
• Large glass mixing bowl
• Rubber spatula
• Spoon or fork
• Cup, tablespoon, and teaspoon measurements
• 8×8 baking dish

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix the 1.5 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and the 1/8 teaspoon of salt using a spoon or fork.
   
3. In a large glass mixing bowl, melt 1 stick of unsalted butter (you can use the microwave to melt the butter directly in the bowl using 30 second intervals to make sure the butter doesn’t boil or burn).
   
4. Mix in the 3/4 cup of dark brown sugar into the butter until thoroughly incorporated.
   
5. Next, add in the egg and the two teaspoons of vanilla extract. Mix everything very well until all of the ingredients are uniform.
   
6. Once all of the wet ingredients are mixed, add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and start mixing everything. Don’t add in all of the dry ingredients right away. It’s better to do a little bit at a time so that everything gets mixed properly.
   
7. Repeat the mixing process with the remaining dry ingredients by mixing 1/3 at a time until finished. Don’t over-mix the batter, but do make sure that you can’t see any bits of white flour left. The batter gets very thick, so I don’t recommend using a handheld electric mixer, but a stand mixer might be ok.
   
8. With the batter ready, now you can customize the recipe however you want. You can add some nuts, peanut butter chips, or just follow this recipe to add in 2 oz. of white and 2 oz. of dark chocolate chips (about 3/4 cup total).
   
9. Once again, mix everything together very well, but don’t over-mix the ingredients.
   
10. Next, grease an 8 x 8 (or similar sized) baking dish using a little bit of butter or vegetable oil or cooking spray.
    
11. Dump the batter into the baking dish and spread out the mixture evenly. Press it down firmly so that it is evenly distributed, but don’t pack it down too hard.
    
12. Bake the blondies in the oven for about 25 minutes. Bake them for a slightly shorter amount of time if you like them under-cooked and gooey. After 25 minutes check the blondies by sticking a toothpick or knife into the center. If it comes out cleanly without any or much batter, then the blondies are done. You may find some melted chips on the toothpick, but that is ok as long as its clean from batter.
    
13. Let the blondies cool for 15 minutes before cutting them into about 12 square pieces and serve immediately or save them for later. They should last about a week at room temperature if covered with plastic wrap.
    
14. Try them plain or serve them warm with a scoop of ice cream on top for an amazing a la mode dessert.