How to Make Blondies

Flavored with brown sugar and your choice of chocolate, butterscotch or white-chocolate chips, these chewy bars are an easy-to-make hand-held dessert.

For this recipe, you will need 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), plus more for the preparing the pan; 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar; 2 large eggs, beaten; 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for preparing the pan; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon fine salt; and about 1/2 cup chocolate, butterscotch or white-chocolate chips (optional). Remember to preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Put the light brown sugar in a large bowl, add the butter and stir to combine. Cool to room temperature. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until a smooth batter is formed. If using the chips, stir them into the batter.