Blondies for Book Club
Thursday, September 18, 2008 at 9:55PM 
Tonight I was the host for my book club. This fabulous group of women meets about every 6 weeks, we take turns choosing the book, and whoever chooses the book hosts and runs the discussion. I've been in it for 7 years, which is amazing because we've seen each other through so much -- jobs, relationships beginning and ending, marriages, babies. It's incredible! I really look forward to it every time.
I had chosen Three Cups of Tea, an amazing nonfiction story about a mountain climber who runs into trouble while attempting to scale K2, and ends up being saved by a Pakistani village. He stays in the village for a few months and discovers that the people who live there don't have a school. He returns to the U.S., raises the $12,000 he needs to build the school, then goes back and builds it, after enduring all kinds of setbacks and hardships. He then goes on to build dozens and dozens of schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It's a remarkable story, and all the girls in my book club loved it.
Anyway, so I was the host, and as such I led the talk and fed the ladies. We aren't supposed to cook (long story), so we got pizza and salad from a great local place called Layla Jones. But it's ok to make dessert, so naturally I did. I don't remember why, but for some reason I had it in my head that I wanted to make blondies. In trolling around the web looking for a recipe, I stumbled on one by Mark Bittman, aka the Minimalist from the NY Times. Now, if you know me, you know that I love Mark Bittman! So that was a plus. Also, the recipe was posted and raved about by one of my favorite food bloggers, the world-famous Deb of Smitten Kitchen. So I knew it had to be great.
And it was! The book club girls loved them. Yay!
Mark Bittman -- and Deb -- offer lots of ways to modify the recipe to dress it up, so this is my interpretation. Enjoy!
Blondies
Makes 16
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter
7 oz. dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. scotch whiskey
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 cup chocolate chips.
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil. Lightly mist the foil with cooking spray.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter with with the brown sugar, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and lot cool for 5 minutes.
3. Beat in the egg and the scotch. Stir in the salt and flour. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips.
4. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until set in the middle. Let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. (I actually let them sit overnight at room temperature, covered, and they cut beautifully and tasted divine.)
Reader Comments (7)
So lovely that you've been a member of your book club for so many years!!
MMMM, BLONDIES!!!!!!!! Definitely one of my all-time favorite baked goods to make/eat. Oh and I too love Deb's blog and recipes (and yours!).
Yay for a bookclub shout out! And the blondies were AWESOME.
these look delicious. When i see a recipe of blondies I always say I ll try them. Never try them so far though. Maybe this is the one. Its nice you re a member in a book club I enjoy readding books too.
Mmm blondies.
I got your comment too late! I forgot you lived in Brooklyn. :(
I love a good blondie! Especially all warm and gooey with ice cream and caramel on top. YUM!
You can't cook dinner, huh? That's a bummer. I was in a book club for many years (before kids) where the person hosting also did the dinner... and it was usually based on the theme of the book. Asian for Memoirs of a Geisha... Southern Style for Ya Ya Sisterhood, etc. It was great fun.
Loved Three Cups of Tea!
Gotta try this! I'm a card carrying fan of both :)
I'm jealous of your book club - my friends don't read :( Three Cups of Tea sounds great!
YES! Blondies, one of my favorites!! And it sounds like a very deserving group!