Makes 20 large or 40 small bars

Made in a bowl with a spoon, these blondies, one of America’s most popular bar cookies, begin with melted butter and both dark brown and granulated sugar. They have plenty of miniature semisweet chips and walnuts for crunch. Blondies are brownies without melted chocolate or cocoa in the batter (just chips), with the same dense, chewy, appealing texture.

Butter (for the pan)

Flour (for the pan)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks

2¼ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup dark brown sugar

⅓ cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 eggs, lightly beaten 

2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1½ cups walnuts, coarsely chopped

Confectioners’ sugar (for sprinkling)

1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.

2. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Remove from the heat. Scrape it into a large mixing bowl; set aside for 5 minutes or until the butter is cool but still liquid.

3. In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to blend them.

4. Use a wooden spoon to blend the brown sugar and granulated sugar into the butter. It may not blend thoroughly. Stir in the vanilla and eggs until thoroughly mixed. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing just until the dry ingredients are absorbed. Stir in the chips and walnuts.

5. Transfer the batter to the baking pan, spreading it evenly and smoothing the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is just set. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.

6. Make 3 vertical cuts and 4 horizontal cuts in the pan to form 20 bars. If you like, cut each in half to make 40 bars. Use an offset spatula to remove the pieces from the pan. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Before serving, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

Lisa Yockelson

Lisa Yockelson can be reached at bakinggirlauthor@gmail.com.