Chewy, Chunky Blondies

This is one of the first recipes I made from the Dorie Greenspan book and it was a winner. I wanted something quick and easy that would provide enough goodies to go around with minimum effort on my part. I looked at and dismissed several recipes that I have done before and that I generally consider easy because they involved too many steps -- grating things, chopping things, making a sauce or syrup -- all more work than I felt doing tonight.

But this recipe fit the bill in a way most others didn't. Brownies might have been okay except for chopping and melting chocolate. A coconut tea cake looked promising until I realized I would have to heat the coconut milk and butter on the stove. The apple cake nearly won out, but then I realized I would have to peel apples and that was definitely not on my short list of fun activities for the night. So, blondies it was.

I'm not sure there are many recipes easier than this one (except maybe the beer bread...) It mixes quickly, goes in a pan and goes in the oven. It also tastes great with several surprising flavors and textures from all the chunky bits you throw in -- coconut, heath bits, chocolate chunks -- all in a basic bar cookie wrapping. Oh, and there's a huge pan of them, so there should be plenty for all. :)

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter at room temp
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chopped up, or 1 cup chips
1 cup butterscotch chips or Heath Toffee Bits
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 325. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add both sugars and beat for another 3 minutes, or until well incorporated. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing just until they disappear into the batter. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chips, nuts and coconut. Scrape the batter into the buttered pan and use the spatula to even the top as best as you can.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the blondies comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for about 15 minutes before turning them out onto another rack. Cool to room temp.