Cook's Illustrated

How to Make a Better Blondie

Do blondes have more fun? Compared with brownies, which get far more attention than their fairer counterpart, I’m not so sure. While you have to look hard to find a truly bad brownie, pale, cloying blondies seem more the rule than the exception. Add the fact that they’re often overloaded with bland white chocolate chips or artificially flavored butterscotch morsels and it’s a wonder they have any fun at all.

That’s too bad, because those times I’ve run across a blondie that’s moist, chewy, slightly dense, and full of complex butterscotch goodness, I’ve always thought that it could hold its own next to any baked treat, let alone a brownie. I wanted to perfect this bar and give it the respect it deserves.

Mistaken Identities

Before I got down to serious testing, I decided to experiment with two popular notions—that blondies are simply brownies stripped of

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Cook's Illustrated

Cook's Illustrated5 min read
Why We Love Gyuto
The gyuto (pronounced “GYEW-toh”) is best described as the Japanese version of a Western-style chef’s knife. It was developed in the 1870s, during the Meiji Restoration. Japan had recently ended its policy of isolationism and had opened its borders t
Cook's Illustrated3 min read
The Beauty of Braised Bok Choy
So many greens are all leaf and no stem, but bok choy levels the ratio. At least 50 percent of each oblong head features thick, bright white ribs (“bok choy” is Cantonese for “white vegetable”) that stretch skyward and unfurl into a collar of jade-gr
Cook's Illustrated6 min read
The Best Whole Canned Tomatoes
With a few cans of tomatoes in your pantry, you’re always ready to cook. Sweet-tart, plump, and juicy, they’re the basis for many soups, stews, and sauces. The most versatile canned tomatoes are whole: You can chop, crush, or puree them, by hand or i

Related Books & Audiobooks