Blondies

Bored of the typical tray of brownies you'll find at every birthday party, bake sale and game day? Try Blondies instead—they're thick, chewy and delicious with a distinct vanilla flavor and a touch of toffee-like taste. The perfect baking recipe for a rainy day or sweet surprise to add to your kid's lunchbox, Blondies are a big crowd-pleaser, every time.

Plus, Blondies are a year-round treat. They make the ideal fall dessert to pair with a hot cup of apple cider or spring dessert to decorate with swirls of pastel frosting. Stuff them with red, white and blue M&M's for a Fourth of July bash or scatter them with red and green sprinkles for a holiday get-together. Our best Blondies recipe is basically a blank canvas for all kinds of add-ins and decorations. Try them with white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips... you get the idea.

The secret to Blondie-baking success is brown sugar. Not only does brown sugar add slightly more moisture to baked goods than regular sugar (moisture = extra gooey goodness!), it also has a deeper, more molasses-like flavor. So even though these Blondies don't contain chocolate, they get plenty of flavor from dark brown sugar and vanilla extract. You can substitute for light brown sugar if that's all you've got, the flavor will just be slightly more mild. One more tip—bake an extra batch if you're making these for a crowd. They won't last long!