Total Time

　　35 minutes, plus cooling

　　In the bakery, we give funny little names to all our treats. The customers are as amused by them as we are. Case in point: One day a priest from the neighborhood came into the bakery. He studied the cases, then came up to the counter and said, rather sheepishly, “Can I have a Drunk Blondie and a Hazel Feelgood?”

　　This recipe was excerpted from 'The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook' by Cheryl Day. Buy the full book on Amazon.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 12 large or 24 small bars

　　2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

　　1 tsp. baking powder, preferably aluminum-free

　　¼ tsp. fine sea salt

　　½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

　　2 cups packed light brown sugar

　　2 large eggs, at room temperature

　　2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

　　2 Tbsp. bourbon

　　¼ cup chopped pecans

　　½ cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted (see note)

　　¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

　　

Step 1

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan and line with parchment, allowing the ends of the paper to hang over two opposite edges of the pan.

　　

Step 2

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

　　

Step 3

Put the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir with a spoon until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and bourbon, and mix until thoroughly combined. Stir in the flour mixture, followed by the pecans, coconut, and chocolate chips.

　　

Step 4

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth over the top with an offset spatula. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Cut the blondies into bars. The blondies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

　　Cook's note:

　　The easiest way to toast coconut is in the oven. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the coconut in a baking pan and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, tossing every couple of minutes with a heat-resistant spoon to ensure even browning. Keep a close eye on the coconut, because it can burn easily.

　　Excerpted from The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook by Cheryl Day and Griffith Day, copyright 2012. Published by Artisan Books. All rights reserved.Buy the full book from Amazon.