strawberry blondies

Study food.

It's paper-writing time in my world. I've finished teaching for the year. I had my last classes. Now is the time when I lock myself in my apartment and buckle down. This is my daily schedule:

Wake up

Type some stuff

Break to check Pinterest

Type more stuff

Break to blog

Type even more stuff

Go to bed

It's an exhilarating life I lead, I know. You'll notice the things that are omitted from this schedule:

Change out of sweatpants

Brush my hair

Shave my legs

Those things will NOT be happening during paper-writing time. Judge me if you will. That's fine. I'd judge me too.

However, while my personal hygiene has dropped a notch or two this week, I did make study snacks! Yay! There's walnuts and butterscotch chips and strawberry jam involved. Who cares about stubbly legs when you've got bars?!?

Strawberry Blondies

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg, beaten

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 cup butterscotch chips

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

3 Tbsp. strawberry jam

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8-inch baking pan with foil, pressing it into the corners and up the sides; leave an overhang on two sides. Butter the foil.

2. Put 4 Tbsp. butter and the brown sugar in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until the butter is melted, about one minute. Stir in the vanilla. Let cool slightly, then stir in the egg.

3. Whisk the flour, salt and baking powder in a small bowl. Stir into the butter mixture. Stir in the butterscotch chips and nuts and spread the batter in the pan. Drop dollops of jam on top and swirl with a knife. Bake until set, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes on a rack, then lift the foil and transfer the blondes to the rack to cool completely. Remove the foil and cut into bars.

Yields 9 blondies

Source: Food Network Magazine May 2011