GF Blondies

Warning:  This is a gluten free post.  By all means, read it, but if you're not eating GF it's probably not something that will interest you :)  but if you are eating GF and have a craving for something sweet, this is a good option :)

Last year sometime I got a cookbook called "How Can It Be Gluten Free Volume 2".  Volume 1 was not beside it on the shelf, and I do not own it. It was put out by the America's Test Kitchen people.  Have you ever seen that show?  I really like it.  It's on PBS.  These cooking EXPERTS take on traditional recipes and make them perfectly and show you how to, too.  For example one episode they revamped Chicken Parm because they said it's too bad how the bread crumb layer always gets soggy.  They explain the science behind the different techniques.  They test different products.  I really like it.  And, my kids really don't.  Like, bored-to-tears don't.  It was on Netflix (I'm not sure if it is anymore), and it's on Amazon Prime too.  Just see what I mean; you might really like it.  Anyway when I saw that they had done a GF cookbook of course I wanted it.  And I actually bought my own cookbook, which is something I haven't done in years.  My mom especially gives me a lot, and so does the rest of my family.  So I can't remember the last time I bought a cookbook.  And paid list price (gasp).  But for this one, I did.  They have their own GF flour blend (of course...it seems like every GF cookbook I've looked at have their own perfect blend to make your stuff just right) which I can post separately.  Using this blend I've made several of their recipes.  I must say that the ones that have yeast did not rise.  Not even a little.  You could use the french bread as a weapon.  But those frustrations are forgiven when there are things like this blondie recipe, or their cornbread recipe.  I'm still going to try a few more things out of this one, because these good ones keep me hopeful.

GF Blondies
1 ¾ cups ATK All-Purpose GF Flour Blend
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp xanthan gum
7 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
4 tsp vanilla
½ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325.  Grease 8-in square baking pan.

Whisk together dry ingredients in one bowl.  In another bowl, whisk together the butter and sugars until no lumps remain.  Whisk in eggs, milk, and vanilla until very smooth.  Stir in flour mixture with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until flour is completely incorporated and batter is homogenous, about 1 minute.  Fold in chips.  Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake 50-60 minutes or until deep golden brown and toothpick comes back clean.

(Do you like my new spoon rest?  My sister gave it to me for Christmas)

Let blondies cool completely in pan, about 2 hours (as if...I waited 7 minutes).  Cut into squares and serve.

Ok so obviously these people do not have a monopoly on GF flour blends.  So maybe try whatever you have if you don't want to invest in making theirs.  I did because there were so many recipes in here that I wanted to try.  They do have various warning scattered throughout the book that if you don't use their blend you're not going to heaven.  Oh wait that's wrong.  If you don't use their blend, your blondies (or muffins, or bread) will be gross.  But even following their directions exactly on 3 different yeast bread recipes, I didn't get good results.  So, they don't know.  Just do what you want.  This was a good recipe and I know we'll have it again.