Blondies...yum

I LOVE LOVE LOVE to bake...bar none one of my favourite things to do. Christmas time is insane in my house as I bake a dozen different kinds of cookies each year, changing a few (or even up to half) of the varieties each year.

Blondies, infinitely adaptable

(from Smitten Kitchen)

8 TBSP (1 stick) butter, melted

1 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla or 1/2 tsp almond extract

Pinch salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

1. Butter an 8x8 pan
2. Mix melted butter with brown sugar - beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla.
3. Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in any additions (below).
4. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle. Cool on rack before cutting them.

Additions (use 1 or a combination of any):

• 1/2-1 cup chopped nuts, toasting them first for even better flavor
• 1/2-1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 tsp mint extract in addition to or in place of the vanilla
• 1/2 cup mashed bananas
• 1/4 cup bourbon, scotch or other whiskey; increase the flou by 1 TBSP
• 2 TBSP espresso powder with the vanilla
• 1/2 cup dried fruit, especially dried cherries
• Top with a vanilla butter cream or chocolate peanut butter cream frosting

My two cents and changes (because I rarely leave anything the way I found it):

I made this as per the recipe and they turned out like a thick chocolate chip cookie. I, then, doubled the recipe and still baked it in the 8x8 pan and they turned out PERFECTLY!!