Butterscotch Brownies

Butterscotch Brownies, Butterscotch Blondies, Blondies, Blond Brownies:  so many names.

I have been searching for a really good recipe and this came to my attention earlier this year.  And I think what makes these the best, is browning the butter and sprinkling the batter with flaky salt.  So yummy…….

I don’t believe in putting any add ins and/or mix ins into the quintessential Blondie.  My personal opinion here.  I may change my mind in the future but for now I will leave adding anything to the batter up to you.  Suggestions are on the bottom of the recipe.

I also really appreciate that the recipe has weights as well.  I encourage you all to get a scale and use it.

So, unfortunately I cannot access the original recipe for you because it’s on The New York Times Cooking website which you now need a subscription.  Didn’t need one when I printed the recipe in February.  😦   So I am writing this exactly how Yossy Arefi had it.  You can check out her blog, too:   www.apt2bakingco.com.  Unfortunately this recipe is not in it but she has some other great ones in there.  So sorry about this, against my blogging ethics not to have the original recipe linked.

Butterscotch Blondies by Yossy Arefi, The New York Times Cooking

1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan  (I use salted butter in ALL my recipes, I can’t tell the difference, up to you here which one 🙂  Also I never grease the pan with butter, I always use canola oil spray)

1-1/2 cups (330 grams) dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1-3/4 cups (224 grams) all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Any mix-in you like (see NOTE)

1/4 teaspoon flaky salt (optional but I don’t think so)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray or butter 9 x 9 inch baking pan with canola oil spray.  Line with parchment paper (see picture below for a guide).

Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Cook butter, occasionally scraping the bottom and sides of the pan with a heat proof rubber spatula (I also like to move the pan in a circular motion instead of using the spatula until the very end) until it turns deep golden brown and smells nutty (I never smell the nutty smell, oh well )  DO NOT WALK AWAY from the pan during this process.  The butter can go from brown and nutty to acrid and burnt in mere moments.  ( I can attest to this, it has happened and then you have to throw butter OUT (yikes) and start all over.)  Transfer the butter and all the brown bits from the pan to a large heat-safe bowl to cool slightly.  (When I first made brown butter, I threw out the brown bits:  hahaha!)

When the butter is cool (I usually measure out the other ingredients after I have browned the butter and by the time I am finished, the butter is cool enough), add the sugar and whisk until smooth (if you find this difficult (I do) use a hand held mixer to do the mixing).  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.

Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt along with any mix-ins, with a rubber spatula, until well combined and no streaks of flour remain in the batter.

Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth the top and sprinkle with flaky salt, if desired.

Bake the blondies until set and slightly puffy, 20-27 minutes.  For gooey blondies, err on the short side of the baking time.  (I bake mine for 24 minutes)  Cool before slicing.

NOTE:  Add ins

1 cup chopped white or milk chocolate

1 cup toasted chopped nuts

1/2 cup toasted unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup dried whole cherries or apricots, chopped

1/4 cup crumbled halva

2 tablespoon bourbon or rum or 1 tablespoon espresso powder, mixed in with butter and sugar

Sprinkle of cinnamon or cardamom, mixed in with the butter and sugar.

Swirl in 2 to 4 tablespoons Nutella, peanut butter or tahini into the top of the batter before baking.

Spray pan with Pam or something equivalent.  I use these Cookie baking sheets all the time.  Cut one in half and both halves fit perfectly into the 9″x 9″ pan.

how to brown butter:

start melting the butter:

it will get foamy:

and then start to clear up:

then it will get slightly foamy again and start to turn brown, it should look like this:

then pour into a heat proof bowl:

mise en place:

add sugar, then eggs and vanilla:

Fold in flour mixture (and add ins if you are adding):

until smooth:

pour into prepared pan:

sprinkle with flaky salt (this was not very good, try to sprinkle it evenly, not like me):

out of the oven:

when completely cool, place brownie on cutting board:

remove the parchment paper:

and cut into bars:

yum!