Vanilla Brownies

Today is my first day back in Kuwait, but before I left I notched two more recipes out of the Betty Crocker Cookie Book. The initial plan was to bake each recipe from front to back, but I think my colleagues were in danger of chocolate chip cookie overload. So, I decided to skip ahead to the bars and brownies; I'll go back to cookies once I get back to the States. The first recipe I made was the "Fudgy Saucepan Brownies." They turned out okay, but not worth publicizing. The other recipe, "Vanilla Brownies," was much better.

This is not a blondie recipe; blondies are like chocolate chip cookies in brownie form. This is actually a vanilla flavored brownie, with vanilla frosting. The recipe calls for vanilla milk chips; these are often called white or white chocolate chips, but make sure that the chips you buy are made from cocoa butter. The Nestle White Morsels that my grocery store carries are not, so I went with the store brand.

1/2 cup butter
1 package (10 oz.) white chocolate chips (1 2/3 cups)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat your oven to 350F. Heat the white chocolate chips and butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over low heat, just until melted. Stir frequently, as white chocolate will burn if it starts feeling abandoned. Remove the pan from heat and let it cool. Stir in the flour, sugar, vanilla, salt, and eggs. Mix in the nuts (I used pecans, toasted in the oven for 10 minutes).

Spread the batter into a greased and floured a 9x13 pan. Bake 30-35 minutes, cool completely, and then spread the vanilla frosting (just mix these four easy ingredients):

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk

These were just as easy as your run-of-the-mill brownie recipe, but serve as a welcome change of pace. The browned edges have a caramel taste, and the homemade frosting adds a nice bit of moisture and give the end product a nicely finished appearance.