Blondies/ Butterscotch Brownies/ Epic Fail

I don't get it. I have made this recipe many times and it is so easy. I mean, there are 6 ingredients... how did I mess this up? I admit I was very distracted while making these, talking on the phone, cleaning the kitchen, etc. Perhaps I grabbed the half cup instead of the 1 cup for the flour? Not sure, but to say these were gooey when I pulled them out would be an understatement, so back in the oven they went. And then, burned bottoms and still sort of flat and undercooked looking. They did not make an appearance at the party.

So, that was sad. But here is the recipe from How to Cook Everything:

8 tablespoons butter, melted (is this normal?)
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Pinch salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

-Butter an 8×8 pan

-Mix melted butter with brown sugar and beat until smooth. Then beat in egg and vanilla.

-Add pinch of salt and stir in the flour. Add any extras (chocolate chunks and peanut butter chips for me this time, but last time I did chocolate chunks and dried cherries and it was really good)

-Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes.

But, on to the next one, right? Tonight I made a delicious asian-y noodle salad. I guess it is "adapted" from Ina Garten (are we sensing a theme here?), but really it is just her recipe minus the peanut butter and tahini. I do make this sometimes with those ingredients but sometimes I just want a little lighter sauce and a littler simpler prep. I also swap sriracha for the hot chili oil and add some cabbage (regular green tonight, napa is also great), baby spinach and cilantro (which this recipe screams out for but I think I have heard Ina say on her show that she hates it, so that is probably why it is left out). So, maybe this really is pretty different than her recipe. I served it with grilled skin-on bone in chicken breast that I marinated in honey, soy sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and a little sesame oil. Not bad.

I also bought the ingredients for the Mustard Tart I have to make this week for French Fridays with Dorie. This recipe is a little scary with the tart shell and the custard, but this is why I signed up for this cooking group. I need a little push out of my comfort zone. I think the problem is that I really really hate to fail when it comes to cooking. All that work and then nothing to eat? Horrifying! Oh well, we will just hope for the best and stock the freezer with emergency frozen pizzas.