My Mom's Brownies

...are what you, me and America need today. Well, among OTHER things.

Big day today!

By which I mean I handed in the manuscript for my all-chocolate-chip cookie cookbook!

Apparently, it’s also Election Day.

I woke up early this AM, opened the front door and on my doorstep was a mysterious bag from a Chinese restaurant in Madison, New Jersey. Uh-oh, thought I. Someone is missing their DoorDash.

However, it wasn’t a bag full of lo mein and chicken with broccoli. It was a phenomenal bottle of bourbon, that v. appropriate card shown in the photo above, along with a few other gifts, including some family photos left by my brother Paul. An Election Day care package!

My brother Paul is a pretty swell guy.

My favorite part of the care package was the theme of strong female leadership. He chose Woodford Reserve because the master distiller is a woman. (And it is yummy.) And the entire note was typed in Verdana font, which was designed by a woman.

Speaking of which, I hear it’s Election Day, and I hope you get out and vote, if you haven’t already. I’m going to walk to the polls with my neighbor, her 7-year-old daugh., and their adorable lab. Remember, no one can deny you the right to vote. You have the legal right, if denied, to ask for a provisional ballot and can vote that way. Unless you’re a Labrador retriever. I don’t think they’re allowed to vote. I always used to take Bosco to the polls, so it will be good to have some dog companionship. And my neighbors are nice, too! Phewsh. Yes, there are humans I enjoy the company of!

Too much for one?

Although the majority of my time over the past few months has been spent in the company of vast amounts of chocolate chips. I’m not sure how you’re planning Election Day food, so I tried to think of a dish to share that was comforting. And that is my mom’s blonde brownie recipe. You can mix it together in about 10 minutes (including browning the butter) and 30 minutes after: warm, gooey, chocolate-chip cookie-like brownies. Begging for some ice cream to be plopped on top. Or not.

My mother was always active in politics—she even was part of the Summit NJ Democratic Party Committee in the 1970s, which consisted of about 8 members in what was a very red city. (Summit didn’t even vote for Roosevelt!) She was horrified and angered by Trump becoming president. That was the last election she voted in. Soon before she passed away, as she was in the hospital and drifting in and out of being herself, my brothers and I lied to her and said Trump had been impeached, would be stepping down, and that there was nothing to worry about. She passed peacefully soon after.

Vote! Bake! And hope we don’t have to lie about Trump to our loved ones ever again.

My Mom's Blondies

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My Mom’s Blonde Brownies

The addition of brown butter is a really nice-to-have, but if it’s the difference between you making these and not, they are still absolutely delicious with regular ol’ melted butter.

What You’ll Need:

1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups packed (320 grams) light brown sugar

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick; 56 grams) butter (method for brown butter below)

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup (90g) semisweet chocolate chips

What You’ll Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180°C. Grease and flour a 8 x 8-inch baking pan. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

2. Put the brown sugar in a large bowl. Make the brown butter (see method below). When golden and nutty smelling, pour it over the brown sugar and stir with some vigor until the mixture is uniform and no longer oily looking.

3. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to beat until the mixture is smooth and toffee-colored. (Put some effort into it. There is a reward for this hard work.)

4. Add the flour in two additions. Mix in the chocolate chips until just incorporated. Do not overmix. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean.

To make brown butter:

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. As the butter begins to froth and boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, while the butter continues to bubble away. When the milk solids in the butter fall to the bottom of the pan, turn golden brown and the mixture begins to smell irresistibly nutty, remove the pan from the heat.

Let’s use the comments section to share our thoughts about the election, how we’re coping or not, and help each other!

Bowie is all of us as we wait for the election results.