Brown Sugar Experiment and Birthday Blondies

It may come to no surprise to you that the desert is very dry.  In knowing this, I have always ensured that I stay hydrated and water my patio garden daily.  However, when it came time to try out a pecan blondies recipe for my hunnie's birthday (as a healthier alternative to his beloved pecan pie), I realized one of the key ingredients had become a victim of this harsh climate--my brown sugar had transformed into a rock.  After unsuccessfully breaking up this sweet mass by banging on the counter top and stabbing with a knife, I resorted to a more scientific solution.  Saturday afternoon I sealed my brown sugar in an airtight bag with a sliced apple.  Come Monday evening I was ready to do some birthday baking, and to my excitement the brown sugar in the sealed bag was softened.  (Need soft brown sugar in a hurry? Microwave it next to a small bowl of water, checking every 20-30 seconds.)

Pecan Blondies

7 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoon softened, packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon backing soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8x8 baking pan, place parchment paper on bottom of pan, and then lightly grease parchment paper. 


Combine flour, baking soda and salt.  In a separate bowl, whisk together egg and brown sugar until creamy.  Then whisk in butter and vanilla to wet mixture.  Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just combined.  Using a spoon, gently add pecans to mixture.  Spread in baking pan and use spatula to gently press and smooth the top.  Bake approximately 20-25 minutes, until slightly golden on edges and toothpick comes out clean.

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