Milk Chocolate and Raspberry Jam Blondies

After my mother died, her recipe box went to my sister, though my siblings and I got some of the recipe cards that my mother had dutifully handwritten over the years or taped recipes from Good Housekeeping or Ladies Home Journal.  Often her recipes (particularly the baking ones) called for "oleo" or "margarine."  There was a feature in the Washington Post Food section a few weeks back that made an argument for salted butter over unsalted butter in baking.  I'll readily admit that I will often buy unsalted butter (to keep in the freezer) at Costco - but salted butter is the norm at the launchpad.

That being said, if Mrs. BA were to make these - I would love her even more than I already do (Sixteen years married - 10 days ago!)

Milk Chocolate and Raspberry Jam Blondies
Here, using salted butter instead of adding salt to a batter separately tends to yield a more muted salinity and, in less capable hands, can lead to a saccharine baked good. When you pair it with something tart, like a fruit — or, as it is done here, raspberry jam — you curtail some of that sweetness and wind up with something beautifully balanced. If you like a more pronounced salty effect and enjoy the crunch that flaky salt provides, sprinkle some of those grains on top of the bars before baking. It’s not necessary here, but it’s all the rage right now.
Make Ahead: The blondies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
SERVINGS: Tested size: 24 blondies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) salted butter, melted and cooled but still pourable
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 8 ounces milk chocolate, chopped into slightly smaller than 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (optional)

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8-by-12-inch baking pan with cooking oil spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper so that two of the sides hang over the edges (for easy lifting when the slab of blondies is done).
• Whisk together the brown sugar and eggs in a medium bowl until the mixture is smooth and lightened in color. Carefully whisk the melted butter into the sugar mixture a little at a time so it does not slosh out of the bowl, then whisk in the vanilla extract.
• Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Use a flexible spatula to blend the flour mixture into the butter mixture, followed by the chopped milk chocolate, until well incorporated. Scrape into the pan, spreading it evenly into the corners.
• Drop teaspoonfuls of the jam across the surface of the blondie batter, and then gently pull the tip of a paring knife through the jam in one direction and then the other, creating a zigzag/grid pattern on the surface. Sprinkle the flaky salt on top, if using. Bake (middle rack) for 32 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan front to back halfway through, or until crisp edges form and the top is just set.
• Cool in the pan, then lift out the slab and cut into 24 equal pieces.

RECIPE SOURCE Adapted from pastry chef Melissa Weller of Walnut Street Cafe in Philadelphia. Tested by Helen Horton and Charlotte Druckman.