Kentucky Bourbon Blondies

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Kentucky Bourbon Blondies are delicious blonde brownies with the addition of chocolate, pecans and bourbon!

January 22nd is National Blonde Brownie Day! Celebrate by making your favorite blondie recipe or visiting an awesome bakery where you can pick up a blondie. Better yet, make these Kentucky Bourbon Blondies! They’re so delicious.

Share the blondie love on social media today using the hashtags #NationalBlondeBrownieDay, #BlondeBrownieDay and #RecipesForHolidays.

Be sure to follow my January Food Holidays page so you never miss a food holiday in the month of January!

“Every blondie needs a brownie by her side.”

-Unknown

The History of Blonde Brownies:

A blondie is like a brownie in shape and texture, but it’s packed with brown sugar and has a butterscotch flavor.

According to the Oxford Companion of American Food and Drink, the blondie “might” have been the original brownie. The first published recipe for brownies was in The 1896 edition of The Boston Cooking School Cookbook by Fanny Farmer. There was no chocolate in that brownie recipe, and it was molasses-based. Molasses brownies became known as blonde brownies. Chocolate became popular in the early 20th century, which is likely when people began adding chocolate (instead of molasses) to the brownie to create what we know to be brownies today.

Eventually, brown sugar was substituted for molasses. Blonde brownies trended in the 1940’s and 50’s when people looked for alternatives to classic brownies.

Today, we know brownies to include chocolate and cocoa powder and blondies to include brown sugar and vanilla.

Ingredients needed:

• all purpose flour
• baking powder
• salt
• brown sugar
• unsalted butter
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• Kentucky bourbon
• bittersweet chocolate chips
• pecans

How to make Kentucky Bourbon Blondies:

The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., and place the rack in the center. Spray a 13×9-inch pyrex pan with nonstick spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, use a wooden spoon to combine the brown sugar and butter. Then whisk in the eggs, vanilla and 1 tablespoon bourbon. Stir the flour mixture into the batter. Then stir in the chocolate chips and pecans.
4. Spread the batter in the pan, and sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top. 

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until golden and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let the blondies cool at room temperature for about one hour. Brush another tablespoon of bourbon on top. Cut into squares, and serve.

How to toast pecans:

Place the pecans on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree F. oven for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant. Keep an eye on them so they don’t brown too quickly or burn.

Do you have to use Kentucky Bourbon?

No! You can use any kind of bourbon for these blondies. You can even leave it out, if you prefer not to use alcohol. Leave out the pecans if there is a nut allergy. Enjoy!

Fun Facts about Blonde Brownies:

• Popular mix-ins for blondies include chocolate chips, coconut, pecans, walnuts, toffee chips and M&M’s.
• A blondie is a good go-to dessert for people who don’t care for chocolate!
• Blondies are delicious when topped with vanilla ice cream and caramel or butterscotch sauce.
• When using dark brown sugar in a blondie recipe (instead of light brown sugar), the blondie will have more of a molasses flavor.
• Brownies were mentioned in the 1897 edition of the Sears Roebuck catalog. They were likely referring to blonde brownies!