Dorie Greenspan may be my new best friend... at least her chewy blondies are.

 WARNING:

If you are on some crazy meticulous diet, that is totally working for you 

{I'm super proud of you btw} 

this post is not for you.

AND if you're a rebel and decide to peek anyway do not scroll passed the recipe where I have hidden the ooey gooey food porn.  You have been warned.

*ahem*

 In times of frustration, stress, feeling excessively trapped, or you know, being totally freaked out because my companion fell on his face.... out of a tree *ahem* cooking and baking always seem to tone down the ginormous-ness of my situation. So, today (Hilary's surgery day) I'm finally getting around to making the blondies that were supposed to be our dessert on fall out of a tree spaghetti taco night. I went with a recipe that seemed unanimously agreed upon by the internets and it's peoples as a chewy blondie.

Chewy, Chunky Blondies
(from Dorie Greenspan “Baking: From My Home to Yours” p.109)

and blogs 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5

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 or Heath Toffee Bits (no toffee bit here)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (though I'm sure it would have been awesome I also left this out)

Getting Ready: 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.

I use parchment paper so that I can easily lift blondies {and such} out. 

Ori is always quick to steal the bowl and whisk attachment..

and then my kitchen turned blue...

 

There that's better...

except for the fact I'm out of milk.

*sigh*

such is life.

{anyone who would like to donate to help our family with Hilary's aftercare can do so by clicking the PayPal donate button at the top left. Thank You!}

Because sometimes the tree doesn't want to be hugged...

Or hug back for that matter.

If you haven't already heard, Hilary fell from a tree Friday night and landed on his face. He likes to correct the fact that he fell by saying "I didn't fall... the branch broke -- and then the rest of them broke". Not being a tree climber myself I don't understand the need for distinction but I'm sure it has something to do with tree climber pride.

Of course, very few people fall 20 ft, break every branch on the way down, land on their face and end up without injury - and this event was no exception. He suffered injuries to his ribs as well as complex facial fractures, and a compression fracture in the lumbar section of his spine. 

We are still uncertain when he will be released from the hospital -- I know they are still trying to find a specialist to repair the bones in his face, and that tomorrow he meets with his physical therapist for his first go at walking since the accident (and I get to be there thanks to some lovely friends and family!).

 I have added a PayPal donation button to my blog (it's over there in the top right hand corner) for anyone who would like to donate to our family. We are lucky enough to have insurance which; as far as I currently know, will cover all the hospital costs -- but there will be several extra costs when he is released that will be difficult or not possible for us to cover; especially with the loss of his income. Feel free to pass it on, any amount helps.