Blondies (not boring!)

Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies continues to surprise me.

I usually hate blondies. My usual reaction is too much flour, too little flavor. These were great for a few reasons: they're simple (melt the butter and mix in everything else,) they're chewy, and they're full of flavor.

Alice Medrich suggests adding a tablespoon of dark rum. Don't omit this step! You can, but I thought the rum added a fantastic and surprising depth of flavor.

Try to use good chocolate chips if you can; I used 62% Nestle Chocolatier chips. They're not the best, but they're much better than the normal tollhouse. Chopped bittersweet chocolate would work nicely too.

Please, please don't overbake these!

Blondies
adapted from Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
8 tbsp butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar, lump free
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp dark rum or bourbon
2/3 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
8 inch square pan, lined with parchment paper or foil

Preheat the oven to 350. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and mix together thoroughly with a wisk or fork. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the brown sugar. Use a wooden spoon to beat in the egg, vanilla, and rum, if using. Stir in the flour mixture followed by half of the walnuts. Spread the batter in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts and the chocolate chips evenly over the top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the nuts look toasted, the top is golden brown, and the edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan. Cool in the pan on a rack. Lift the ends of the parchment or foil and transfer to a cutting board. Use a long, sharp knife to cut into 16 squares. May be stored, airtight, for 3-4 days.