My Year of Pleasures and Blondies

This book is a good one. I read it in one day flat and then was sad that it was all over.  I was originally drawn to the book by its cover.  Pretty huh?  I completely judge books by their.  Same thing with wine bottles. Any way...still trying to figure out what the picture has to do with the story but it was a good book all the same.

Betta Nolan moves to a small town after the death of her husband to try to begin anew. Pursuing a dream of a different kind of life, she is determined to find pleasure in her simply daily routines. Among those who help her in both expected and unexpected ways are the ten-year-old boy next door, three wild women friends from her college days, a twenty-year-old who is struggling to find his place in the world, and a handsome man who is ready for love.

This book makes you want to cherish what you have but also reach for the stars.  Be careful because after this book I was ready to pack up all of my things and move to a completely new town and start a new life. 

Now on to the delicious treat...not to long after Christmas I got the cookbook, Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan.  Pretty much every recipe in the book I want to make.  The pictures are amazing and Mr. J has already made fun of me for flipping through it numerous times just to look at the photos.

This recipe is my first actual attempt at making something come to life.  It was a huge winner with the only problem being you have to watch yourself from eating the whole pan at once.  It makes a lot so be ready to share or freeze for later.

Chewy, Chunky, Blondies

by Dorie Greenspan

6018476

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups (packed) light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or 1 cup store-bought chocolate chips
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan and put it on a baking sheet.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add both sugars and beat for another 3 minutes, or until well incorporated. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing just until they disappear into the batter. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chips, nuts and coconut. Scrape the batter into the buttered pan and use the spatula to even the top as best you can.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the blondies comes out clean. The blondies should pull away from the sides of the pan a little and the top should be a nice honey brown. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for about 15 minutes before turning the blondies out onto another rack. Invert onto a rack and cool the blondies to room temperature right side up.

Cut into 32 bars, each roughly 2-1/4 x 1-1/2 inches.

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