Description
Chewy, buttery blondies with deeply browned butter flavor, dark brown sugar tenderness, chopped toffee pockets, and flaky salt. Bakes in an 8-inch square metal pan.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter, 10 tbsp (141 g), cut into pieces
- Dark brown sugar, 1 cup (packed) (220 g)
- Vanilla extract, 2 tsp (10 ml)
- Large eggs, 2 (about 100 g total without shells)
- All-purpose flour, 3/4 cup (95 g)
- Kosher salt, 1/4 tsp (about 1.5 g)
- Flaky sea salt, 1/2 tsp (about 1–2 g), plus more for finishing if desired
- Chopped toffee pieces, 1 cup (about 175 g) (pea-to-marble size pieces)
Instructions
- Prep: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8-inch square metal pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easy lifting. Lightly grease the parchment.
- Brown the butter: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted and foaming, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, until the butter turns deep amber and you see browned milk-solid specks. This usually takes 5–8 minutes after melting. Pull it off heat when it smells nutty and looks amber (not burnt). Transfer to a heatproof bowl to cool until warm, about 10–15 minutes.
- Mix sugar and butter: Whisk the dark brown sugar into the warm browned butter until glossy and thick. Whisk in vanilla.
- Add eggs: Whisk in eggs one at a time until smooth. Scrape the bowl if needed.
- Build the batter: Sprinkle in flour, kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt. Stir just until no dry flour remains.
- Fold in toffee: Fold in chopped toffee pieces evenly.
- Assemble: Spread batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle a small pinch of flaky salt over the surface if you want a more visible salted finish.
- Bake: Bake 18–22 minutes, until the edges look set and lightly crisp, and the center looks thick with a slight wobble (not liquid). A toothpick inserted near the center should come out with moist crumbs and melted toffee, not wet batter.
- Cool and slice: Cool in the pan at room temperature at least 45–60 minutes (until firm). Lift out using parchment, then cut into 9–12 bars.
Notes
For the chewiest texture, don’t wait for the center to fully set in the oven—use the visual cue of a set, matte edge and a thick, slightly wobbly center. The bars finish setting during cooling.