A Classic Recipe

It's been 2 years since I posted this simple favorite here. I made some yesterday, so here it is again.

Classic Blondies
(also known as Butterscotch Brownies)

1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 cup flour sifted with 1 tsp baking powder
1 and 1/3 cup (or slightly more) dried fruit, chocolate, and/or nuts*

Grease an 8" or 9" square pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1) Melt butter and brown sugar in saucepan or microwave. Cool so it won't cook the egg in next step.

2) Add egg and vanilla to sugar mixture. Add flour and baking powder. Stir well. Add nuts and fruit to batter and stir well. (Or wait and spread them on top of batter in pan in step 3. Chocolate chips or chunks definitely work better if added to top of batter, without stirring, after it is in the pan.)

3) Spread batter in the greased pan. Top with remaining chocolate/fruit/nuts. Just press it in a little. Bake 40 minutes at 350°F. Tester may not be completely clean when brownies are done.

4) Cut brownies into squares after cooling 20 minutes. Loosen from pan. Remove when cool.

*You can use any nuts, chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, chopped dried apricots, dried cherries, fresh or dried cranberries, chopped candied ginger, or any other dried fruit etc. in a combination that appeals to you. Yesterday I used apricots, chocolate, and almonds. Two weeks ago I used fresh cranberries in the batter and chocolate on top.