We are off to a dinner party with lovely friends. Lovely with positive quirks. She is very careful about her diet, and looks incredibly fit and beautiful. Ask her if she wants dessert, and the answer is always, “No, no, I can’t.”
She is, of course, addicted to chocolate.
When we walk in the door tonight, I will say, “In consideration of you dietary preferences, I have not brought my usually chocolate cake or cookies.”
She will say, “Thank you.” And her face will belie total disappointment.
And, then I will add, “Of course, I did bring some blondies. With chocolate chips and marshmallow.”
“You shouldn’t have,” she will say.
Oh, but I should. Our conspiracy of chocolate will continue with silent acknowledgement.
From Bruce Weinstein’s perfect The Ultimate Brownie Book, these cookies are as decadent as a weekend in ancient Rome. The batter, complete with chocolate chips and zillions of mini marshmallows, has to sampled. Has to be. If you never even bake it, I do understand. Don’t feel guilt. Just make more now, while your tummy is filled and you could not possible eat more batter. [Yes, I’ve been there. I, too, have seen the look of disbelieve and disgust on a therapist’s face.]
Marshmallow Blondies
Yield: 16 2 ¼ by 2 ¼ cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for the pan
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons [1 stick] unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated [white] sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- ½ cup chocolate chips, semisweet or milk
Preparation:
Position the rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-ch square baking pan. Set aside.
In a medium blow, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars with an electric mixer at medium speed. Continue beating until pale brown and thick, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and beat until thoroughly incorporated; then beat in the egg yolk and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the mini marshmallows and chocolate chips until thoroughly incorporated. Then stir in the flour mixture just until moistened. Do not beat. Spoon the batter — which is very thick — into the prepared pan, spreading it gently to the corners.
Bake for 22 minutes, or until the top is light brown. The cake will be soft but will set and firm up as it cools. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 2 hours.
Cut the blondies into 16 squares while still in the pan. Carefully remove them with an offset spatula. Serve immediately or let cool completely before covering with plastic wrap for storage at room temperature. They will stay fresh for up to 2 days. They can be wrapped in wax paper, sealed in a freezer-safe bag, and frozen for up to 2 months; allow them to thaw at room temperature before serving.
Source: The Ultimate Brownie Book by Bruce Weinstein