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When Spanakopita Just Won’t Do

For me it is tough to read headlines in The New York Times these days. Maybe that is why I don’t get that newspaper every day—just Wednesdays (for the food section) and Sunday. In truth, it’s so amazingly expensive and who has time to read it every day? On Sunday, first I read the book review. But what’s that on the first page? A book about sugar, and how it is the source of diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and strokes? Maybe, too, the problems in the Middle East, racism, nuclear winter, glaciers coming to Fishers Island?

Well, anyone who knows me knows I rarely joke about any of those things, but an entire book reviewed by Dan Barber, one of America’s best chefs, demonizing sugar?

So, why am I writing today about sugar? Because we all like sweets, sometimes. And when my friend Lisa asked me to make whoopee pies for her 50th birthday party, what could I do? Make spanakopita? I made two different kinds of whoopee pies—one a spice cake with a cream cheese filling infused with maple flavoring, and the other a red velvet filled with a vanilla cream. It was fun, but certainly messed up the kitchen. For your information, you do not need to use three one-ounce bottles of red-dye coloring. One is fine. For the red velvets, I used a cookie recipe. For the spice cake, I used a cake recipe. Both worked well. I tasted each and they were yummy.

So why was it necessary to make a bar cookie recipe? I guess I just don’t like rules, and reading that book review made me angry. This recipe not only needs sugar, but butter, and Scotch. They were easy to make and absolutely delicious. I ate one and shared with friends. The rest are in the freezer. Don’t eat too much sugar or butter or alcohol. But don’t deprive yourself of something special once in a while.

Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com.

Scotch Blondies

From Fine Cooking, February, 2017

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups packed dark brown sugar

½ cup Scotch whiskey

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups mini chocolate chips

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13-inch baking pan, line the bottom with parchment and then butter the parchment.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Let cool briefly. Add brown sugar and stir until combined. Add Scotch, eggs, and vanilla and stir until combined.

Add the sugar mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Gently fold in chips.

Scrape batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and tap the pan on the counter once or twice to break any air bubbles. Bake until top is golden brown and just starting to pull away from the edges of the pan, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the Blondies, invert onto a cutting board, remove the pan and parchment and flip right side up. Cut into 16 pieces.*

You can store the Blondies covered, at room temperature for up to 5 days.

*I cut the blondies into about 32 pieces.