Adventures in Hamilton

So this weekend I took my public transit expedition to visit friends at U of T and Mcmaster. Seeing as it was absolutely freezing, (which was completely unfair because I was excited to leave the Montreal Arctic behind) my friends and I spent a lot of time indoors, in a movie-watching hibernation coma. To accompany movie marathons, one obviously needs snacks, and the best kinds of snacks are home-made baked goods.

So, at U of T, we made some delicious brownies, but seeing as they were Duncan Hines, I don’t feel they need to be blogged about.

But at Mcmaster we were a bit more adventurous. Adapting a recipe from www.justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com/ we made home-made blondies (for those of you who have not yet experienced a blondie, it is a vanilla brownie). The recipe was not that hard to make, proven by the fact it turned out great even though we didn’t have any measuring spoons or dry measuring cups. Although, I must note, they tasted a lot like cookies, perhaps we baked them for a bit too long.

Hope you enjoy: 

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour, sifted

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or more if desired) *these are important, I think it is the secret to what makes the blondies so good*

1/3 cup margarine (melted)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

French vanilla ice cream, as a topping

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

2. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt to the already sifted flour. Then sift dry ingredients again. Add chopped nuts and mix well. Set aside. 

3. In another bowl, add brown sugar to melted butter and mix well. Then add egg and vanilla extract. Mix well. 

4. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, until mixed well. Stir in chocolate chips. 

5. Spread out dough in a 9-inch pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (or less, as I said ours tasted a lot like cookies). Use a toothpick or fork to test if it is cooked in the centre. 

Serve warm with french vanilla ice cream on top! Nom nom nom