Do you ever meet people who don't like chocolate? (They exist!) It's a bewildering experience. When someone tells me they're not "into" chocolate, I feel a potent mixture of sadness, anger, and fear. The statement "I'm not really a chocolate person" ranks somewhere alongside "not really a puppy person," or "not really a Christmas person."
What a sad life, to not be into chocolate, puppies, Christmas, raindrops on roses, or whiskers on kittens. Here's my contribution to these sad souls: blondies. At least they have blondies.
Blondies are akin to brownies, but they are brown-sugar based instead of chocolate-based. These particular blondies get their flavor from toasty brown butter, almond extract, and a pretty swirl of molasses. The molasses adds a deeper, more complex flavor to a very sweet blondie. These blondies are a little chewy in texture--great served with milk or tea!
BROWN BUTTER BLONDIES
1/2 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp almond extract
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 cup molasses (optional but delicious)
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease & flour an 8x8 pan.
3. Whisk together the sugar and butter (it's okay if it's still warm) in a mixing bowl. Add the egg and almond extract. Whisk to combine.
4. Add the baking mix and salt. Mix until smooth. Spread evenly in the pan.
5. Drop small dots of the molasses into the batter. Using a knife or skewer, swirl the molasses in pretty patterns.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are set and golden-brown. As per usual in gluten-free baking, the center may still be soft. Worry not--the blondies will firm-up as they cool. Allow to cool before cutting. These will keep for several days if stored in the refrigerator.
