Blondies: Simply Delicious
A Classic Recipe For Any Season
Jim Fobel Recipe: Blondies | Dara O’Brien
By Dara O’Brien
Creative Director, Lake Isle Press
The holidays are fast approaching, which means I’m going into baking overdrive. Over the last month or so I’ve been stocking up on baking supplies as they go on sale and clearing my freezer to make room for stacks of snickerdoodles and pumpkin whoopie pies.
My seasonal baking frenzy is fed on two fronts. First and foremost, I give baked goods as gifts to a lot of the people on my list. Second, it’s a pretty safe bet that when I ask my host what I can bring to his or her holiday party, the answer will be “Cookies!” Or carrot cake. Cupcakes. Brownies. Gingerbread. People who know me also know that I like to bake. The requests come with the territory.
I get a kick out of baking for people—most of the time I sign up for it. But I admit that there are times when I find myself gazing wistfully at fellow guests who show up with a bottle or two of wine tucked under their arm, or dangling a pristine white box tied with baker’s twine before them. It would be so chill if every now and then a party invite didn’t necessarily mean that I need to rev up my stand mixer.
Cue my empty freezer. Since most baked goods freeze beautifully, it’s a game-changer to be able to bake a batch of cookies or a tray of cheesecake squares when I have the time and stash them away, ready to go. It also helps that I’ve learned to curb my inclination to bring a full sheet cake as my contribution to dinner for four; I now bring more than enough treats for all and freeze the rest for another time. Bake once, give twice. Or thrice. That’s my new motto.
Case in point, a batch of blondies I made the other day, following a recipe from “Jim Fobel’s Old-fashioned Baking Book” published by Lake Isle Press. I brought half to a friend’s house for dinner. The other half, naturally, is in the freezer, ready for another small dinner party.
I’ve made pumpkin blondies before from a different recipe—they were good and might be more in keeping with the season—but I wanted to try this nuts and bolts version as a baseline. Many of Jim’s recipes, like his lemon bars, cinnamon cake, and carrot cake have become definitive to me; I now add this recipe to the list.
The texture of these blondies is what really stands out. There’s a light chewiness to these little guys that can’t be beat. I might play with the flavors—a little cardamom with a touch of ginger might be fun—but this recipe delivers the ultimate blondie bite. It will go on repeat in my baking portfolio—it’s fast, it’s easy, and it’s pantry-based.
I had no interest in baking when I was growing up or starting life on my own. But things slowly shifted. Now, even though I live alone, I bake—and cook—more often and more adventurously than many of the parents I know.
Food, especially baking, has become my opportunity to express love and to care for others. That does not mean, however, that I’ll neglect my freezer and revert to bringing so many baked goods to dinner parties that the host sends everybody home with leftovers. Bake once, give twice. Amen.
Blondies
Click here for printable recipe.
Makes 16 small squares
INGREDIENTS
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup (4 ounces) coarsely chopped pecans
PREPARATION
Adjust a rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil and lightly butter the foil.
In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar, egg, and vanilla; beat until thick and light, 1 to 2 minutes.
On a sheet of waxed paper, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With a spoon, quickly stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Stir in the pecans. Turn the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center emerges with a few crumbs clinging to it. Place the pan on a rack and cool to room temperature. With a knife, loosen the edge all around and pull out the blondies by the aluminum foil and invert on a board. Peel off and discard the foil. Turn the blondies right side up and cut into 16 small squares.
Recipe from “Jim Fobel’s Old-Fashioned Baking Book” by Jim Fobel, Lake Isle Press, 1996
Blondies Recipe
from “JIM FOBEL’S OLD-FASHIONED BAKING BOOK”
by Jim Fobel, Lake Isle Press, 1996
Inspired by his grandmother, mother, and aunts, the late Jim Fobel collected the best of their old-fashioned recipes and re-worked them for today’s cooks. He was a protégé of James Beard and frequent contributor to Family Circle, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and a noted food writer.
“Charming nostalgia...mouth-watering, the way fruit pies cooling on the porch should be.”
— THE NEW YORK TIMES
OTHER RECIPES FROM THIS BOOK
Blueberry Muffins Recipe
Cardamom Cookies Recipe
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Cinnamon Cake Recipe
Grandma’s Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
Lemon Bars Recipe
Lemon Layer Cake Recipe
Mystery Cake of 1932 Recipe
New York Cheesecake Recipe
Orange Coffee Cake Recipe
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