I live in Los Angeles. All of the stereotypes you’ve heard (or perpetuated) are true. We enjoy our juice cleanses (like… a lot). We wear ridiculously expensive yoga pants. We drive everywhere, all the time, into traffic, with traffic, against traffic… so much traffic! We are beach hippies (for real). We are ladies who get our hair blown out like we’re going to movie premiers every night… because we’re probably going to movie premiers every night (this is not my particular reality). Some of us care about the fancy cars that we drive, and the size of our diamonds. Some of us care about our Priuses and hemp shirts. We are everyone and we live together because we like sunshine always and forever.
One of my favorite things about Los Angeles is all of the awesome food people that live here.
Two of my favorite food people are Jessica Koslow of Sqirl Jam and Max Lesser of Morning Glory Confections.
Jessica makes the most lovely jams on the west coast. I love her jams because they taste exactly like the California that I love. Big, beautiful, like sunshine, earth, and quirk.
Max takes the simplicity of candy brittle and flips the script. His Chai Tea and Cashew Brittle… I can’t even deal. It’s all about honoring simplicity and nudging it with crazy fun.
I love what they do. I love brownies. Hence… the most awesome brownie smash-bang fusion ever.
A small pan of blonde brownies is just about the easiest thing to make. No mixer required. No waiting to softened butter.
If you’ve got brown sugar and a cup of flour you’re mostly good to go. Ok.. you also need an egg and a few other things, but you catch my drift.
As with most things in the kitchen, sharing is caring… even when it comes to brownie making.
Jessica and Max do the heavy-lifting of smearing and swirling the brownie batter.
These brownies are completely versatile.
The batter can be studded with candy brittle (I used Morning Glory Chai Cashew Brittle).
And! The batter can be swirled with jam!
Wait… batter can be studded with brittle aaaaannnnddd swirled with jam.
It’s like rocket science, but way easier.
Try to tell me you aren’t obsessed with Raspberry & Fresh Lavender and Cashmere Nectarine Jam. I won’t believe you.
Brittle Blonde Brownies give this dessert that extra chew.
The corner pieces are 83% more chewy/delicious/irresistible/and I’m-totally-calling-dibs.
Slice these suckers.
Generously please.
These brownies are buttery and sweet, with a gooey chewiness. They’re delicious with brittle and jam. They’re delicious with chocolate chips and toasted pecans. Pistachios? Yes! They’re a base for whatever inspires me in the kitchen. These brownies are like the soup of the dessert world. I mean that with love, respect, and melted butter.
Incidentally, Sqirl jam in incredible on Buttermilk Biscuits, and Morning Glory Brittle is the perfect treat for sitting in Los Angeles traffic. Tested. Approved.
Thank you for letting me share.
If you’ve got brownies on the brain, you might also consider:
Triple Chocolate Black Bean Brownies
Ginger Walnut Chocolate Blondies
and Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies
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Brittle and Jam Blonde Brownies
makes 9 blonde brownies in an 8×8-inch pan (recipe can be doubled in a 9×13-inch pan)
recipe adapted from Morning Glory Confections
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
5 oz box brittle, chopped into ½ inch pieces or 1/3 cup of jam
Line bottom and sides of a 8×8 metal pan with parchment paper. Grease with butter or shortening and dust with flour.
Place rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Remove pan from heat and, using a wooden spoon, stir in the brown sugar. Thoroughly mix in the eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Stir in half of the brittle (if using). Spread the batter in the pan. Top batter with the remaining half of the brittle.
If you’re using jam, dollop three spoonfuls of jam across the batter. Use a butter knife to swirl the jam through the batter.
Bake for 20-23 minutes rotating pan half-way through. Edges should pull away from side of pan and the top will be golden brown.
Let cool completely in pan on rack. Lift the ends of the parchment paper to remove from pan. Cut into squares.
Corrina
So I finally used my final lost crate. I was waiting for a special occasion (when I couldn’t eat most of them), and this past sunday was it. They are crunchy, sweet, buttery deliciousness! Monday morning rolled around and I look at the 3 measly excuses for halves of half, and felt it was my duty to devour. Thanks for the yummy recipe and crate idea. I will order online and make again, if I can bare to dump that mmmm brittle in the batter.
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tiffany
could you describe the texture/consistency of these?
are they like a dense chewy bar? or cakey? how buttery?
thanks!
joythebaker
They’re dense like a chewy bar.
Jill
I totally agree…they are one of my favorite “food people”, too!
Aimee@clevermuffin
I love the idea of using brittle in these! I can see a Christmas version with candy cane? Yes? Nom nom…
Becky
I made these last night. They are gone today. :( After receiving my lost crate (the best yet! thank you!), I got right to work. I browned the butter (hello, extra butterscotchy goodness) and used the chai tea cashew brittle. in your words, I couldn’t even deal. I ended up packaging up little bags of blondes and delivering to neighbors and friends because a) these things are INCREDIBLE, b) my hubby is out of town, c) I had already eaten 3, and d) I’m four months pregnant and can’t be trusted with an entire pan of blondies that are caramely, chewy, delightful little pieces of heaven. Thank you!
autumn
Yung humma reference?! Yeah for jam-making ladies! Thanks for this idea. There aren’t enough jam swirls in my life.
Amanda
came home after a looonnnnggg day of work to this treasure box of goodies from lc. i thought i wouldn’t get one for october, so i was uber stoked. i’m headed to see my hubby this weekend (we live apart because of work and owning a home in another state . . . long story) and i’m excited to get to tell you that my two lost crates + joy boxes are going with me. can you guess what we’re having for breakfast saturday morning? or what i’ll be making for snacking on on sunday?? thanks for all you do to inspire. :]
Kimiko
Made these last night with toasted pecans and chocolate chips… some how they came out tasting like apple pie — delicious! Super easy to bring together and I love how versatile these are :)
YUMMO!
Angela
Hi Joy! Was super excited about this brittle in my last Lost Crates package, only to discover the package was full of ants!! Yikes! After much shrieking and flailing about, the box has been properly disposed. Just hoping nobody else had the same problem!! The jam appears to be safe, and I will most definitely be trying your jam swirled blonde brownie recipe (minus any creepy crawly friends). Yum!
Amber
I loved getting these products in my lost crate!! The jam was leaking, but they’re sending me a replacement. I can’t wait to get it!
Joy, are you going to restart the Enjoy subscriptions while Lost Crates is on hiatus?
Shivaree
I made this using raspberry jam and though the jam part tastes delicious, the blondie part tastes a bit undercooked even though I cooked the blondies for 23 minutes. Now, I’ve never eaten blondies before so is this normal?
joythebaker
Well, doesn’t sound normal. Your oven may be off a bit, next time try adjusting the time. Sounds like maybe a few more minutes would have helped. Everyone’s ovens are different.
Jen @ Jen's Favorite Cookies
I’m just dying to try raspberry and fresh lavender jam! And I’m dying to try these brownies, too! Yum!
deborah@delicioushappens.com
Hi neighbor (sort of – I live a few miles south of you in Newport). New to your site. Great site!! These look amazing!! Definitely making!
Nicole @ Lapetitebaker
WOW! What a fun new twist on a standard blonde recipe.
Erin
Oh dear Joy – made these this afternoon to celebrate the birthday of a friend who can’t have chocolate (a whole other tragic tale!). I didn’t even miss the chocolate because these are so stink in good! No brittle on hand, so I swirled homemade peach butter on top. Heaven.
Elizabeth
These look delicious!
Just started listening to your podcasts and visiting your site! Love what you do!
Victoria
looks so tempting – is ready to taste them just from the pictures :)
thanks for the recipe
Alfie
These look so good it’s unreal. Soo tempting and seem really autumnal to me for some reason, yum yum yum!!
Michelle
Holy delicious. You definitely have the best friends!
Rachael B
That first photo is definitely food porn. Brittle in a brownie? Yep… definitely food loving I can get down with. *cue Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” is it weird I want to sing to my food? lol
Laura
Agreed – the corner pieces are even more chewy and delicious! Which is why The Edge pan (http://bakersedge.com/) is such a great invention. Bought it for a present for my sister and get to enjoy it too!
Keisha
These look amazing! I’m more of a Blondie girl than a brownie girl….which I guess is unheard of so this recipe is doing all kinds of things for me! And that Chai cashew brittle sounds incredible too!
Seanna Lea
I had a drive by of this recipe as I came here to show my husband the chocolate filled vanilla yeast doughnuts. I really shouldn’t come here whenever healthy eating is on my mind, because for each healthy item there is also a hefty dose of temptation!
Kat
the sqirl apricot jam sounds divine, and don’t get me started on the brittle. and this is why they invented pants with stretchy waistbands.
Rachael B
So long as they don’t say “juicy” on the back, right?
Riley
These look too good to resist!
Rosalyn
I decided to make these tonight because I recently made some strawberry jam and I wanted to use it! They turned out so well- I used dark brown sugar instead because that’s all I had, and it was fine. The edges are, seriously, out of this world amazing. The crunch/chew ratio… oh my goodness. Thanks Joy!!
Stephie @ Eat Your Heart Out
So lovely! I love blonde brownies..and these are definitely on the list.
Mod Mom Beyond IndieDom
I want some. Like…now. ;) these look like some seriously jammi’n brownies!
Julianne
What a wonderful way of using your friends’ products! That brittle sounds so good.
Kasey @ The Wit of the Staircase
I am salivating at the thought of these. Do they ship their brittle? I’m definitely making these for my dinner party. Maybe it’ll just turn into a brownie party. Party of one, that is…
Anna
I love the pink kitchen aid mixer in the last photo there. :)
sara
Yum, these look fantastic! So much yummy stuff going on in this dessert!
Erin | The Law Students Wife
Joy, I love the jam and brittle twist! Blondies are one of my go-to vehicles for whatever deliciousness is lying around my kitchen (butterscotch chips + bourbon anyone?) but I never would have considered jam. Thanks for all the mouth-watering suggestions!
cheers,
Erin
Bakerkat
Love this new version of blonde brownies
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
ok, you had me at chai tea and cashew brittle. can’t imagine how amazing that would be in a blondie, but i’m going to be thinking about it all day long!
Lil Deli
I want to make things with swirls too. These look so beautiful!
Axelle the french cook
I still don’t know why I’m watching at those blogs … I WANT TO EAT ALL I SEE !
I’m going to try this recipe this week end ! Too bad for my hips !
Julia (the roasted root)
This post is great, Joy! Supporting local companies is important and putting two great products together in an excellent blondie recipe is brilliant. Looks like you guys had lots of fun and good going sharing the love with talented people who make great sweets!
Jamie @ green beans & grapefruit
Nice to see these two on here….Haven’t had morning glory confections (yet!) but I have had sqirl and always eye the both of them at Farmshop! These brownies are brilliant!
Kristin @ FoodFash
Oh how I could live off of brittle…
Amanda
those jam flavors look awesome!
Maria
Ok, I’ve loved your blog for ages now, but I can’t let a reference to Lemme Smang it go unpraised. Totally awesome.
The brownies look totally delicious too. :)
Maggie @ A Bitchin' Kitchen
These look so delicious! The last time I made blondies the middle stayed raw after like, 45 minutes in the oven. So sad. I’m going to try these because I still need a good, reliable base blondie recipe!
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes
Brittle and jam in a brownie? Amazing! I’ve never been to Cali before but want to visit someday :)
laura @ glutton for nourishment
these look incredible. and i am off to seek out some of that jam asap.
Yelle
That lavender jam sounds so amazing! Definitely need to get my hands on that! The jam and brittle blondie combo definitely seems like a wonderful treat!
Stefanie @ Sarcastic Cooking
Oh Joy! I can smell these babies baking away in my apt already. The expensive yoga pants comment made me laugh! So true and funny!
christin
you make my whole life almost everyday.
Tanja Maria
Hey Joy,
I just love your blog!
I am going on my first trip to the US (I live en Denmark!) and I am going to visit San Diego and LA. I was wondering if you have some good insider tips on where to go out, to get some really good food?
Warm regards from Denmark!
Tanja
purelytwins
wow these brownies sounds delicious, never had jam in brownies before, love the idea!! YUM
Sarah
Three things I love that I never would have thought to combine. I can’t wait to try these!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
mmm so delicious!
karine
Hello Joy,
Am excited to try this recipe. Tried to print the recipe by clicking the link (print) above the recipe and it did not work. It prints the header and the rest of the page is blank. Maybe the link is broken. Just wanted to let you know. Thanks for sharing. Have a great sunny day.
joythebaker
ah! i’m so sorry about this! it should be fixed now!
thelittleloaf
I’ve not commented on your blog in a while but these can’t go by un-noticed, they look a-mazing. Love the addition of jam, yum!
Abby@ Totes Delish
I’m LOVING this brittle jam combo going on, what a lovely contrast or crunchy and sweet jam! I want that brittle in my face rightnow.
Ashlae
Huge fan of SQIRL jam (helloooooo blood orange + vanilla bean marmalade). And brownies. Together. Lookin’ good, lady.
Jill @ Sincerely Jill
This sounds crazy unbelievably good!
Sophie @ happyspinach
These look SO GOOD! I have to make them for my crush… Hopefully he’ll approve. :)
joythebaker
totally…
Vickie
they sound (& look) awesome :)
ileana
Oh man. This looks and sounds fantastic! I love brittle, but I’ve never tried it in a brownie/blondie. Reminds me a bit of my favorite flavor of Jeni’s Splendid ice cream, Brown Butter Almond Brittle. Oh, the possibilities!
Diane, A Broad
Hooray! I knew you were trying to perfect blondies from listening to the podcast, so now that you’ve posted a recipe I know it’s going to be a good one.
Mallory @forkvsspoon
I am such a sucker for all things brownie/blondie/bar shaped confection. This is going on the must make list…thanks!
leaf (the indolent cook)
Brittle AND jam? Sounds magnificent! And those jam flavours sound seriously, seriously divine. And that brittle! You’re killing me.
Lauren at Keep It Sweet
um, yes. completely want!
Margherita
I’m curious to find out how brittle will play in he brownies….sounds and look amazing
Kathryn
Woah…what an incredible combination of flavours and textures. Love. And this just makes me miss LA so much.
marissa @ the boot
super cool jam and brittle flavors! amazing brownies!
emmycooks
I love the description of LA. I’m originally a NorCal girl myself, but I lived in LA for a few years after college and totally loved it. For the weather, sure, but also because of all the kinds of people you mention. Some were my people and some weren’t, but I figured they were all there to entertain me. :) Anyway, I’m not sure why I’ve been making oat-y jam bars all my life when I could have been making these. Thank you for showing me the way.
Averie @ Averie Cooks
I’m a huge blondie lover and I love PB & J blondies but brittle…oh this is a great idea! The crunchiness amidst the smoothness, the texture, flavor, oh yes, loving this one!