TWD - Chewy, Chunky Blondies

Don't you love it when you are surprised in a good way by a recipe? One of the best things about Tuesdays with Dorie is that I make all kinds of things that I would never in a million years choose to make for myself, for all kinds of reasons - I think I won't like it, the ingredients are expensive, the calorific content seems OTT, and "Dorie-can-you-really-be-serious ?" etc. But then I make these things, and I more often than not, I love them - I find new flavours that I like, find that the expense of the ingredients is well worth it, and hang the calories - and besides, I always share!

So it was this week. Our host, Nicole of Cookies on Friday, chose Dorie's chewy, chunky blondies. These sound delicious, but the picture in the book didn't appeal to me. As a guy at work said to me when he first saw them, they looked like health food. When I went to make them, my oh my, I learned that these weren't health food, but I entered the "Dorie-can-you-really-be-serious?" phase, as they contain 1 cup each of coconut, chocolate bits and walnuts - how could those ever be incorporated into the mixture? But you know what - these work, and they are delicious! This is the case even when, like me, you only have a 9" round springform in which to bake them, and they take an hour and a half to bake because they are extra chunky.

I had two of these blondies, and unleashed the rest at work - and they were a massive hit! (Although in Australia, a "blondie" is a blonde-headed person, not a slice, so people looked at me strangely when I told them what they were.)

You can check out the recipe in Dorie's book, or visit Nicole's site. And if you want to linger some more over these delightful little beauties, visit the TWD blogroll.