Brunettes, or The Ultimate Blondie Recipe

You might say that I’m reaching a little bit with the cheeky name of this recipe – BRUNETTES. Yes, you might say that I’m being a little gimmicky. I wouldn’t disagree with you, honestly. But I like a good gimmick every now and again, so long as I can back it up with deliciousness, and I do believe that this recipe manages that quite nicely. These “Brunettes,” adapted a bit from an old Bobby Flay recipe, are really the best blondies I’ve ever had – the ultimate blondie recipe – and therefore seemed worthy of a standout title.

They’re darker, richer, MORE than your typical blondie, I think, and truly not for the faint of heart (emphasis on the word “rich.”). An ordinary, run-of-the-mill blondie seems right at home at, say, an elementary school bake sale or some such event. These, though, are a little extra … a little more mature and interesting and complex (the flaky salt! the browned butter! the gooey chocolate river that flows at their cores …).

I like to cut them into little 2-bite blondies and pile them up in a fetching brown butter blondie pyramid of sorts – a perfect way to cap a meal in a causal way that will still, undoubtedly, win people over and knock their socks straight off. Wam! Pow! Yes, these Brunettes pack a real-deal punch.

How to Make the Ultimate Blondie Recipe

This one is pretty standard op, so far as the actual construction and baking of it all goes. We’ll combine some wet ingredients with some dry. We’ll fold in some extra tasty bits (I’m looking at you, toffee and chopped chocolate!). We’ll lovingly spoon it all into our trusty baking pan (I use this one for this recipe), top it with some addictively crucial (though technically optional) crunchy sea salt, and send it away into the oven.

The difference-making components of this recipe, however, lie in a couple of simple yet effective steps that truly elevate these into “Brunettes” territory, rather than the traditional, expected blondie zone (nothing wrong with blondies – I am, in fact, a blondie).

1. Firstly, we’re going to use browned butter. That right there lets us know that we’re in for something a little “extra.”
2. Secondly, we’re going to stick with dark brown sugar and only dark brown sugar. The deeper, more caramelized flavor that you get from that extra bit of molasses running throughout that dark brown sugar makes a noticeable difference in the flavor of these blondies, ahem – Brunettes.
3. Extra vanilla. Always.
4. Crunchy toffee bits. These contribute to that caramelized flavor that we’re going for.
5. LOTS of chocolate. These Brunettes really do pack a chocolatey punch, and essentially have a gooey, river of chocolate dreams running through their middles. As is the case with all of the chocolate chip cookies and recipes that I make, I always reach for chocolate bars that I then chop up as I see fit. Unlike the case would be with pre-fab chocolate chips, chopping up a good quality chocolate bar gives you the freedom to create whatever size chocolate bits and bites you want. I like to keep some pieces really big, and others almost as small as shavings. Once you add the chocolate to the batter, it will start to swirl and melt into the warm mixture, creating the most wonderful marbled effect.

It’s all so very heavenly, to be honest. I hope you love them like we do.

If you like the looks of this recipe, you should definitely check out:

One Bowl Texas Chocolate Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting

Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Irish Cream Cake

Molten Chocolate Cobbler

Here is a ready-made pin for you! Simply save it to your “Easy Desserts,” or “Chocolate” boards and you’ll be all set when the craving strikes.

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