The following excerpt and recipe for butterscotch blondies are from Dan Langan's new cookbook "BAKE YOUR HEART OUT," available now on Amazon.

The relatively short list of ingredients here belies the big butterscotch flavor you get in every bite. The batter starts with a slow-cooked caramel sauce, simmered long enough to develop a voluptuous depth. Consider it your baseline blondie, a great launchpad for a slew of variations with your mix-ins of choice, from chopped toasted nuts to candy bits.

Butterscotch Blondies

  • Prep Time:25 mins
  • Cook Time:42 mins
  • Total Time:1 hr 7 mins
  • Servings:16
  • Medium

    Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 sticks cold unsalted butter
  • 1 1/3 cups lightly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1¼ cups semisweet chocolate
Photographs © 2023 Rikki Snyder.

  • Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the center position. Coat a 9 × 9 inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray and line it with a long strip of parchment that overhangs the edges on two sides.

  • Step 2

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder until free of clumps. Set aside.

  • Step 3

    Melt 8 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the butter is mostly melted, add the brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Continue to heat, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula, until the butter has completely melted and the mixture begins to bubble. Simmer over low heat without stirring for 5 minutes. Pour the butterscotch into a large, heatproof bowl, and stir in the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter; it may not incorporate fully. Cool for 15 minutes.

  • Step 4

    Add the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk to the cooled caramel and whisk vigorously for 60 seconds, or until smooth and shiny, like a rich butterscotch. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the flour mixture, mixing until fully incorporated into a smooth batter.

  • Step 5

    Stir all but ¼ cup of the chocolate chunks* in the batter and scrape it into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chunks over the batter. Bake on the center rack for 38 to 42 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown, the surface is puffed and wrinkly, and a toothpick inserted
    in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached but no raw batter. (You may need to insert the toothpick into a few different spots to be sure you aren’t hitting molten chocolate.)
    *Baker’s note: Chilling the chocolate chunks prevents them from melting when stirred into the warm batter.

  • Step 6

    Cool the blondies in the pan completely. Cut into 16 squares. Store the blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Recipes reprinted with permission from Bake Your Heart Out: Foolproof Recipes to Level Up Your Home Baking by Dan Langan © 2023. Published by Union Square & Co. Photographs © 2023 Rikki Snyder.