— Taylor Trudon / Writer, Culture & Lifestyle / Brooklyn, NY
Drop Everything and Make These Mango & Brown Butter Blondies
theSkimm
If you’re a card-carrying member of Team Brownie, avert your eyes. Actually, don’t — because these Mango & Brown Butter Blondies from pastry chef Paola Velez are so delicious and irresistibly chewy, you’ll reconsider your stance entirely. A combination of brown sugar and brown butter gives the recipe — included in Velez’s new cookbook, Bodega Bakes— a richer, more caramelly flavor, while a layer of homemade mango jam yields extra-gooey goodness. The result? A melt-in-your-mouth treat that’s ideal for bringing to Friendsgiving…or straight to your couch.
The Time Commitment: About an hour — but the blondies bake for almost half of that time.
Key Tips: You can use fresh or frozen mango, which Velez says “work[s] equally well.” Also, if the idea of lining anything with parchment paper makes you want to give up on baking altogether, Velez suggests snipping the corners “so the parchment perfectly lines the walls of the baking pan” and leaving “enough overhanging parchment,” so you can easily lift the blondies out.
Other Takes: While you can’t go wrong with the classic, there are endless ways to level up your blondie game. These Chewy Chai Blondies have hints of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg — essentially the dessert equivalent of a chai latte. Or, for something sweet and salty, consider these no-mixer-needed Salted Butterscotch Blondies, or these Reese’s Peanut Butter Blondies, which are loaded with mini Reese’s and drizzled with chocolate and peanut butter. Finally, these Baklava Blondies blend the soft and chewy texture of a blondie with the honey-heavy flavor of baklava for the hybrid dessert you never knew you needed.
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We asked you to vote on an etiquette question you’d like answered. The winner was:
Q: I love when my friend visits, but she always expects rides to and from the airport. How do I tell her I’m not her taxi?
“[To] directly address this, I like [sharing] a boundary and an offering — what you won’t do, then what you will do … in a way that doesn’t make it personal. Like, ‘Driving friends to the airport isn’t something I typically do, but I really value you, so I’ve been doing it. But I realize it’s taken time away from [XYZ]. I’d love to see you, [so] how about I drop you off at the bus stop?’ Or, ‘Can you take a Lyft this time?’
… [You can even be honest and say], ‘I’m worried I’m not being a good friend or meeting your expectations, but I don’t want to become resentful’ … [Ultimately], the idea is, how can you fulfill both of your needs in some way?”
This coconut juice is our new favorite afternoon drink. It's as hydrating as coconut water, but tastes sweeter. Good news for people who think coconut water tastes like...something else.
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Unleash your competitive side with today’s games and puzzles. Choose from an anagram word search, digital jigsaw puzzle, or crossword (with a twist). Better yet: Try them all.
