high-bar baking

The trick with these is to not over bake them. 

Now, I’ve pulled them out of the oven sopping wet before, and I don’t recommend that either. But barring straight raw dough, err on the side of under here. I’ve always felt this way, and I was especially vindicated to hear Sarah discussing the topic of underbaked blondies in her latest book. “Cakey” is the dirty word that we all think it is. They should be gooey and fudgy and lovely inside, whether or not the base batter is chocolate. 

These are an old standby, the tried-and-true Preppy Kitchen Chocolate Chip Cookie bars. I actually don’t consider them blondies, but that’s a topic for another day. I say they are what they are; no umbrella category required. 

A pop of flaky salt on top never goes amiss. But really, the long and the short of it is, keep their time in the oven short. I personally bake them for the 35 minutes Kanell specifies and no more. Unless your oven is hanging on by a thread, that should get you just where you need to be. Let them cool in the pan, and then chill out. Everyone will survive. They’ll even thank you for it. 

There’s no creaming (or browning) of butter, and they whip up super quickly. This is the recipe I turn to when I need an answer but I haven’t planned ahead. 

You should plan ahead, of course. I say mostly to myself. You should plan ahead and be responsible. Why is it so much easier to fix things in other people’s lives than your own? The bog article calls this a “personal problems shrink ray,” where you treat everyone else’s troubles as much more minor than your own, which are huge and difficult. 

I often think about it in the tone I used when I watched Last Chance U, a television show that was unendingly frustrating because none of the students seemed to be able to do what they needed to do. “Go to class!” I shouted at the TV, “You’ll never make the League if you don’t turn in your homework and graduate!” 

And a friend said to me, “If people were looking at your life, what would be the thing they’re shouting at you to ‘Just do it!’?”

Well… thanks.