As you might imagine, the key ingredients in these blondies — brown butter, blonde chocolate, toasted pecans, and a generous dose of salt — add up to one magnificently tasty treat. Chewy and unabashedly buttery, these easy-to-love bar cookies turned out so perfect that I was almost disappointed by the results. Namely, because when I first made them, my boyfriend and I found them so addictive that we scarfed the entire batch before I managed to take pictures, prompting me to bake them twice in one week.
Want to avoid our "problem"? Bake these, and then promptly serve them at a party, share them with officemates, send them with your kids for a bake sale at school — just don't leave them lying around your house; you've been warned.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with butter; line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides.
Brown the butter over medium heat. Once browned, take off the heat and add one ice cube, whisking to combine.
In a large bowl, whisk together the brown butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt; stir just until moistened. Fold in the blonde chocolate and pecans.
Transfer batter to prepared pan, and smooth top.
Bake until top of blondies are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack, and let cool completely. Using parchment overhang, lift cake from pan and transfer to a cutting board; cut into 16 squares. To store, keep in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.