Sticky, Gooey, Good

It is now firmly established that my cousin and I share a passion for baking and cooking. OK fine. For food. Details. But in a mushy gushy way, I have to admit that I’m cherishing these experiences that we’re having together in the kitchen. I’ve grown up associating the kitchen and the dinner table as places where people come together, be it in laughter, in tears, or in blissful ignorance of happenings away from the people in front of them. As we become more and more attached to technology, this little bubble seems even more precious. The fact that my cousin and I get to spend this time together, and perhaps that she will even associate me and our relationship with the kitchen and the joy it brings, is something that warms my heart.

OK, cornball moment is over. Jeez. Back to the good stuff. And I do mean goooood stuff. This was our last baking hoorah before I return to the land of coffee and hipsters. The other land of coffee and hipsters...

These are ooey-gooey, melt your mouth scrumptious. And with an Indian potluck and a Superbowl party on tap for this weekend, more cooking adventures are in the pipeline.

Heath Bar Blondies
Adapted from Eat, Live, Run

1 stick butter 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 1 egg 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla extract (or the seeds of one vanilla bean) 1 cup all purpose flour 1/2 cup heath bar crumbles 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts Preheat your oven to 350 and butter an 8-inch square pan. Brown your butter by melting it over medium heat on the stove until it becomes a golden caramel color (see here for more tips). Be careful not to burn the butter---you only want to brown it. This will take several minutes and it's easiest to keep swirling the pan with your hand while it browns. Pour the browned butter into the bowl of a kitchen aid and add the brown sugar. Beat for about four minutes, until creamy. Add the egg and beat again. Then, add the flour, salt and vanilla extract (or seeds). Beat until combined. Fold in the heath bar bits and chopped walnuts. Spread out mixture in your buttered pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let cool before slicing into squares.