True butterscotch blondies! First you make a butterscotch sauce, then a dough in the style of Jacques Torres (he of famed chocolate chip cookies!) and then add your favorite chocolate.

Blondies. They show up humble to the party, almost like they know they are brownies’ lesser cousin and no one will be that interested. I’ve made the oft hyped up brown butter blondies and thought they were really good, but I didn’t want to devour them, definitely not the way I do a good brownie. So, guys, it’s time to up the blondie game. Today I’ve got a recipe that will give any brownie a run for its money.

Blondies, Torres Style

First, you know that famous Jaques Torres chocolate chip cookie recipe? The one that so many have declared the absolute best cookie ever? I use some of his tricks here like combining bread and cake flour to get a wonderful chewy texture on the edges and a soft and gooey center. I also let the dough rest in the fridge for a day or two to develop the flavor (time really does make a difference here; 4.5k people on NYTCooking agree). I figured these two tricks would have an impact on a blondie recipe because the dough is very similar to chocolate chip cookie dough. Essentially, blondies are cookie bars!

True Butterscotch Blondies

The other thing I do with my blondies is to cook the sugar and butter together. I initially did this because I thought it would give me a shiny top, but cooked a bit longer and serendipitously made a butterscotch syrup. This deepens the flavor incredibly. Blondies are often called butterscotch brownies, simply because of the use of brown sugar, but by cooking the sugar into the butter you develop a true butterscotch base. This syrup combined with the days rest in the fridge completely changes the blondie game: the flavor is so fully developed in a way only a brown sugar caramel can be. It is positively perfect.

What kind of chocolate should I use to make the best blondies?

If you have been following me for awhile, you know that I really dislike using regular chocolate chips in baking. I have always chopped up a good chocolate bar; the big and small chunks distribute more evenly throughout the dough, no wax added means the chunks melt nicely in the oven and most importantly, good quality chocolate tastes so. much. better.

So I’m always on the hunt for new types to use in my baking, and this Johnny Doodle bar pictured is absolutely perfect here: it’s high quality European dark chocolate and this particular bar I recommend has big chunks of, get this, salted caramel fudge. Those chunky bits of fudge add another delicious dimension to the blondies and really round out the caramel taste.

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Notes and tips on Making Butterscotch Blondies

• Sometimes I bake mine in a pie pan to get more of the gooey center – my favorite part!
• The blondies are fantastic at all temperatures: warm they are reminiscent of a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie, room temperature they are chewy and sugars melt quickly on the tongue. We also loved them straight from the fridge: the cold gives them an even chewier texture.

Substitutions

Chocolate: The Johnny Doodle chocolate can be found at Walgreens. Here is the bar I used. If you can’t find it, sub in 1-1 1/2 cups chopped dark chocolate or another candy/cookie of your choice.

Flour: You may use 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour instead of the mixture of cake and bread.

Recipe for Butterscotch Brownies with Dark Chocolate

Butterscotch Blondies

Chewy blondies that use a famous chocolate chip cookie's techniques for maximum tastiness.

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

4 from 2 votes

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Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter 113g
• 1 cup light brown sugar 210g
• 1 large egg
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup cake flour 120g
• ½ cup bread flour 60g
• 1 cup chopped dark chocolate chopped
• Flaked sea salt for sprinkling

Method

• In a small pot over medium heat, melt the butter and sugar together. Cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture reaches ‘thread stage’ (about 225 F): you’ll see little white bubbles on the sides and it will be similar in texture to molasses. Remove from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl.
• Once cool, add the egg and vanilla and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
• Add the flours, whisk to just combine. Fold in the chocolate.
• Set dough in the fridge to rest for 24-72 hours.
• An hour before you are going to bake it, remove the dough from the fridge to soften.
• Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8” square pan or a 8” round with parchment paper.
• Press the dough evenly into the pan. Add some more chocolate to the tops so some is exposed. Sprinkle on sea salt, if desired.
• Bake for 25-35 minutes.
• The bars will be delicate when hot, let cool then slice. Store in an airtight container.

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