When I was a kid we followed the holiday tradition of leaving cookies out for Old Saint Nick and they were always chocolate chip cookies. (I think this was an ingenious way for my dad to ensure that there was an ample supply of his favorite treat.) Getting into the season I wanted to dress up this tradition with Sea Salt Topped Blondies paired with Peachy Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon. I had to do a little research on the pairing and the Cab does work nicely. Anther pairing to balance the sweet would be a tawny port.
Sea Salt Blondies
- 1 1/2 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 c. butter
- 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate
- 1-2 tsp. sea salt
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Cream the sugar and butter in a large bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla into the sugar mixture. In another medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together (I like to save the extra clean up and add the dry ingredients on top of the butter mixture and lightly mix the dry before beating in). Fold in the chips, as desired. Spoon the batter to the prepared dish and spread to evenly fill the dish. Top with sea salt. Bake until the blondies are light brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Invert onto a rack and cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.