Coconut Chocolate Chip Blondies

You know you want some. All this New Year's healthy eating resolution crap is really getting on my nerves. In fact, I'd say it's RUINING MY LIFE.

All it has been doing here is snowing and sn'icing and generally being inhospitable, which means all I want to do is stay inside and bake. I just love that cozy feeling you get sitting inside under a blanket where it's warm when it's all snowy and cold outside. The only thing that improves that is the smell of something sweet coming from the oven. Aaaah.

But now I have a ridiculous surplus of baked goods that no one wants to eat. I keep trying to pawn them off on people, but then they yell at me for making them fat. What's up with that?! Who doesn't want cookies? Blasphemy!

This past weekend was the Superbowl though, so all bets were off. I got to go hog wild in the kitchen and no one was going to stop me. I made a monster tray of nachos, brown sugar sausage bites, and a Cheeseburger Stromboli (out of control delicious, by the way. Recipe coming soon.) Of course I needed something a little sweet too.

I've been a bit obsessed with brownies lately. I don't know why, except that they're AWESOME. I wanted to switch it up a little bit though, and it had been a while since I made Blondies. Blondies are basically brownies without the chocolate. Sacrilege? You might think so, but they have a very yummy butterscotchy sort of thing going on that saves them. Add some coconut and big dark chocolate chips and they are over the top. These are almost a cross between a Girl Scout Samoas cookie and a Mounds bar. Try them. You can run an extra mile tomorrow.

Coconut Chocolate Chunk Blondies

(from About.com)

 Makes 16  2-inch blondies

1 cup all purpose flour

1/8 tsp salt

1 stick unsalted butter (4 oz) melted and slightly cool

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1 cup (dark) chocolate chunks

Optional topping:

1/2 cup chocolate chunks

1/2 tsp butter or shortening

1. Grease and flour (or line with parchment paper) an 8 inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the flour and salt together.

3. In a separate bowl, beat together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract until well incorporated.

4. Slowly mix in the flour mixture until blended. Once blended, mix in the coconut flakes and chocolate chunks.

5. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top until even. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they are set but still soft. Keep an eye on them and don't let them overbake.

6. Allow them to cool in the pan. If using the topping, melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or using a microwave in 10 second intervals until glossy and smooth. Pour the mixture into a resealable bag, cut a small corner off and drizzle over the blondies. Or, just stick a spoon in that chocolate and go all Jackson Pollock on them. Enjoy!