I’m a brownie enthusiast. Cakey, gooey, fudgy--I don’t discriminate. I have made them and loved them all. On the contrary, I have never tried my hand at a blondie, the brownie’s more carmely, vanilla cousin. Like brownies, there are hundreds of ways to make a blondie and so when I decided to make them, naturally I had to decide what kind I wanted to make. I considered peanut butter and cream cheese, chocolate, of course. Then, it dawned on me: brown butter was my answer! Only my favorite ingredient in the entire world. So, I researched some recipes and it. was. on. I actually drew some inspiration from this recipe, but opted for a larger pan (creating a thinner-more bar-like blondie) and left out the chocolate. For my blondie, I decided to whip up brown butter frosting to take it the extra mile. Ya’ll. This blondie isn’t playing.

I know I’ve talked about brown butter in the past, but allow me to repeat myself. Brown butter is just butter...that you brown. Yes. Quite simple. But, it packs some very complicated flavor. Basically, it occurs after melting butter in a skillet over medium heat. The goal is to keep a close eye, swirl occasionally and wait for a distinct nutty scent and nice, rich amber color. These blondies have the it factor. I want to put them on a billboard with flashing lights on the side of the highway. I wish I could pass out samples to all of you. They’re really that good.

To take a look at the details, I have to give some sage brown butter advice, which is to leave nothing behind. The little dark pieces in the brown butter are money. You gotta have them. It all gives the blondies and frosting a terrific speckled look and adds to the toasty flavor profile. I also left it in the oven about 25 minutes and found that they stand up well and taste perfectly chewy this way. Otherwise, look for a cracking top and golden brown, firm edges. These blondies are heavenly, decadent and endlessly adaptable. If you make a pan, do your best to share. I know you may be tempted to keep them for yourself, but this sort of nirvana deserves to be known the world over. Have a wonderful day, friends.

Brown Butter Blondies

2 Sticks (1 cup) Unsalted Butter
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs
4 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1 3/4 cups dark brown sugar (light brown is a good second choice)

Brown Butter Frosting

2 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar
1 Stick of Unsalted Butter
2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
2 Tablespoons Whole Milk

Add two sticks of butter to a medium skillet over medium heat. Allow it to melt, bubble and sizzle (3 to 4 minutes), swirling the pan often, When the butter is a medium golden brown, remove from the heat (it will continue browning in the pan over the next 30 seconds or so!) Pour butter (and any solids in the bottom of the pan) into a large bowl and allow it to cool, about 30 minutes.

For the Frosting: Repeat this butter browning process again--this time with only one stick. Likewise, after it has browned and turned the color of amber, pour it into a medium bowl and allow it to cool, about 30 minutes.

After butter cools, heat oven to 350° F. Thoroughly grease a 13 X 9 inch pan. Set aside.
Whisk together flour and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla. Set aside.
Add brown sugar to the cooled butter. Stir with a spoon for about a minute.
Add egg/vanilla mixture to butter/sugar mixture. Mix just until combined and shiny.
Using a stand or hand mixer, add flour mixture gradually to the butter/sugar/egg mixture. Avoid over-mixing. Spoon dough into prepared baking pan. Spread and press lightly with the back of your wooden spoon until dough is spread evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. You can’t do the toothpick test with blondies because it always comes out clean. Instead, look for a crispy top that's just beginning to crack with slightly-browned edges. And when you press on the center, it should be a little firm. Too soft and it may need some more time. However, it will firm up quite a bit after it comes out.
For the Frosting: While the blondies are baking, take this time to mix up the frosting. Combine confectioner’s sugar and whole milk with browned butter and vanilla. Add more sugar for a thicker frosting or add milk for something more like a glaze. .
Remove from the oven. Cool completely before frosting. Cut into desired portion sizes and serve. These will keep up to a few days at room temperature in an airtight container.