Heath Blondies

Beach Week is winding down, everyone. Big sighs. But everything must end. And I say, go out with a bang, not a whimper! I didn’t make that up. Some really great poet did.

The cookies and bars at beach town bake shops are so wonderfully homemade. No, I’m not counting Starbucks. These shops are owned independently, and you can taste the singularity of each baker’s products. It’s like they’ve baked their souls into their treats.

I’d like to believe that I do that, too. So these Heath Blondies represent the heart of what I love best in baking: caramelly, chewy amazingness. Because what else is there in life? Oh, except Reese’s.

Back to these bars. They’re super thick. I did that on purpose! There is nothing more depressing than a thin blondie. Who wants that? No, I’m not talking about people. I’m talking about dessert!

I used these awesome Heath drops as a mix-in. They are so good. Honestly, why didn’t Hershey think of this years ago?

And, of course, I used toffee bits, which have been around forever. Save a few of both the drops and the bits to sprinkle on top of the bars before baking. It’s so much prettier that way!

This recipe requires no mixer. You will be in total baker’s heaven. And the people you love will be able to taste your passion amid the chewy depths of these blondies. How’s that for an endorsement?

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 bag Heath drops (they look like Heath M & Ms)
• 1 cup Heath toffee bits

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Line an 8 x 8 pan with foil, leaving enough to overhang the sides, and coat in cooking spray.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Take a larger bowl and mix the brown sugar, melted butter, eggs and vanilla until just blended. Add the dry ingredients gradually and mix until incorporated. Fold in most of the Heath drops and toffee bits.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining bits and drops on top evenly.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the edges are browned. The middle will jiggle slightly, but it will harden as the bars cool. Do not overbake. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container.