Summer means barbecues, potlucks and parties. And accompanying invitations to all of these is usually a request to bring along a dish; in my case, it’s always dessert. But there are two little problems with the outdoor dinners of summer: transportation and no refrigeration. I can’t bring along a cake, because the frosting will slide off into a melted pool of butter and sugar. Forget cupcakes and other delicate desserts — they just don’t stand up to the jostling and rearranging of outdoor party prep. But squares, brownies, and bars are just the ticket: portable, easy to serve, and don’t require you to fight for room in the fridge. Of all the squares in my arsenal of recipes, these are probably the most requested. Sweet, chewy, and chock full of toffee flavour: the brown-butter toffee blondie.


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Brown Butter Toffee Blondies (adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cookie Book)

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
3  eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 pan.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and stir until it turns golden brown; remove from heat, and let cool. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of a mixer, combine browned butter and both sugars; mix until combined. Add eggs, and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, and beat to combine. Add flour mixture, butterscotch chips, and toffee bits. Mix until thoroughly combined, and pour into prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. These are extra good a little underbaked and gooey, with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream.