Chocolate Chunk Blondies

These Chocolate Chunk Blondies are a crowd-pleaser! I've made them for my coworkers several times and they are always a big hit at the office, and super easy to whip up on a week night! They are thick, dense, chewy, rich, salty and sweet! I always make a batch with walnuts and without, the ones without nuts are always the first to go, which always seemed odd to me, I always prefer my cookies and brownies without nuts, but I thought that was just me....guess not! They are also so good right out of the oven with a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, yum!

Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten

Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 oz. milk chocolate chips
• 1½ cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8x12x12 inch baking pan.
2. Cream your butter are both sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add in the vanilla and then the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between.
4. In a small bowl sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly stir in your dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture and then beat with the mixer until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
5. Spread the batter into your prepared pan and bake for exactly 30 minutes, do not overbake!
6. Cool in the pan on a wire rack then cut into bars, enjoy!