Chewy white chocolate blondies

These blondies have been a big project, and I am so excited to be finally sharing this recipe! I have always been weary of blondies because to me they often don't live up to expectations. I find them to be dry or too cakey. I was determined to create a recipe that was truly the blonde version of a brownie, and though it was a journey I am really happy about the final result. And aside from the taste and texture being just what I was looking for, there is no fancy equipment needed for this recipe which is an added bonus.

I have always wondered why more blondie recipes don't have melted white chocolate in them, and so I was determined to incorporate that into this recipe. It took a few tries to get it just right (and I also tried it as a cookie recipe along the way), and the final result was just what I had imagined - a blonde brownie! Slightly golden on the top, and both fudgy and chewy in the center. I also did a poll on Instagram to see if folks preferred white or milk chocolate chunks in their blondies. Milk chocolate had a slight edge, but I chose to do a combination.

This recipe is not just a chocolate chip cookie in brownie form. Though it does share some similarity, the melted white chocolate in the batter really gives it the true brownie texture. I also added a bit of cornstarch to help with the chewy texture. Another swap is the added brown sugar. I found that this helped a great deal with the texture and am really excited about the final result.

The batch makes 16 squares, or you can cut it into 9 larger pieces. They store extremely well in the fridge while maintaining their incredible texture, and of course can also be saved in the freezer and defrosted in the fridge.

One last thing before we get to the recipe. Though I chose to do milk and white chocolate chunks you can certainly switch this up. I will say though, my sister tried these while in town recently and even as someone who doesn't love white chocolate - she was a big fan! In case you do choose to switch up the brand or type of chocolate, I will provide different cuts of the carbs for easy substitution. I used the Ghirardelli 4oz white and milk chocolate bars for this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons) at room temperature

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or another neutral oil)

• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 4 oz white chocolate (half will be melted, half will be chopped)

• 2 oz chopped milk chocolate

Total time: About an hour and a half including chill time

Prep time: About 15 minutes

Bake time: 28-30 minutes

Cooking instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Take half of your white chocolate, 2 ounces, and in a small container place it into the microwave and melt. I recommend breaking the chocolate down into smaller pieces, and it should take about a minute or less to melt down. Be sure to pause after 30 seconds and stir before melting fully to avoid burning your chocolate. Set it aside to cool slightly once fully melted.

In a large bowl, use a spatula or large spoon to mix your room temperature butter, and both sugars. If your butter isn't at room temperature (it should be very soft to the touch), you can place it into the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Use your spatula or large spoon to thoroughly combine your butter and sugars until you no longer see any streaks of butter. Next, add in your egg, additional egg yolk, oil, and vanilla extract. Use the same utensil to fully incorporate everything together, mixing for about 1-2 minutes with speed.

Grab your slightly cooled white chocolate and pour it over your mixture. Use your utensil again to fully incorporate your melted white chocolate into your mixture.

To your mixture, add all of your dry ingredients, flour, cornstarch, baking soda and powder, and salt. Move slowly and carefully combine your dry ingredients into your wet.

If you haven't already, chop your remaining chocolate (2 oz of white and 2 oz of milk). I chose to set aside half of this chocolate for later, and slowly mix half of the chocolate into my batter.

Line a 9x9in square pan (or you can use an 8x8 pan and increase the cook time a bit) with parchment paper. Add your batter over the lined pan, and use a spatula or flat tool to spread your batter to cover the pan fully and evenly. If you chose to reserve some of your chopped chocolate, sprinkle it across the top of your batter and gently press the pieces down to secure them.

Bake your blondies at 350 degrees for 28-30 minutes. The top should be golden and the center should feel slightly firm. Allow them to cool for about an hour and then slice into 16 or 9 squares!

Store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They will remain fresh for about 6 days. If you don't think you'll finish the batch, you can place them into the freezer and defrost in the fridge anytime.

Carb and serving info:

Carbs for full recipe: 382.6

Carbs per serving (1 of 16) : 24

Carbs per serving (1 of 9): 43

Carbs from chocolate in full recipe: 108

Note: Carb information is calculated based on the specific ingredients I used to cook with to help guide my own insulin to carb ratio when dosing before I eat my home cooked recipes.