{"id":248941,"date":"2026-05-30T19:13:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-30T19:13:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/248941\/"},"modified":"2026-05-30T19:13:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T19:13:09","slug":"how-to-make-cosmic-blondies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/248941\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make Cosmic Blondies"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cInterstellar\u201d is one of my favorite films. I\u2019d watch Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain recite New York City parking regulations, so of course I\u2019m bought in. But I didn\u2019t really get it the first time I watched it (as with many a Christopher Nolan film). The idea of space makes my skin crawl, if I\u2019m honest, and watching a movie about parallel universes makes me want to lie down.<\/p>\n

A couple of years ago my friend persuaded me to give it another go, and I realized that it\u2019s not just a space movie about alternate dimensions; it\u2019s a movie about how love will be the thing that saves humanity. This movie that used to make me queasy is now my comfort watch.<\/p>\n

\u201cInterstellar\u201d didn\u2019t spawn the idea for my cosmic blondies<\/a>, but I did want June\u2019s Monthly Bake to be all about love. (I\u2019m an \u201cact of service\u201d guy, and blondies are my love language.) After all, it\u2019s a month of many celebrations, barbecues and block parties, with Pride and Juneteenth as its cornerstones. It\u2019s a month for gathering with our communities and sharing joy.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve brought blondies to countless celebrations, but I\u2019ve never given them the extraterrestrial, Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies treatment until now. (I\u2019m a child of the \u201990s, at the end of the day.) And they\u2019re so easy to make. Aside from browning the butter, which takes about five minutes, the batter comes together in a few flicks of the whisk, and the blondies bake up in less than 30 minutes. Waiting for them to cool enough to be decorated is honestly the hardest part.<\/p>\n

And decorating them is the real fun. Seeing them all gussied up with their celestial swirls and sparkles sends me over the moon. I suggest you choose colors that won\u2019t make brown when they run together (orange and blue might not look great, unless you\u2019re cheering on the Knicks). Dollop the tinted white chocolate all over the top and use a knife, spatula or toothpick to swirl the colors to your heart\u2019s content; leave some white for contrast and to fill in any gaps.<\/p>\n

Sanding sugar and edible glitter, while totally optional, really take these interstellar. This is not one of those Chanel-esque, \u201ctake one accessory off\u201d moments. More is more, in my opinion. Life\u2019s a party, baby! It\u2019s time to have fun in the kitchen \u2026 and beyond!<\/p>\n

The Monthly Bake<\/p>\n

Share your photos!<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t been this excited for your Monthly Bakes to pop up in my inbox. Show me what you can do! Share your cosmic creations on Instagram by tagging @vaughn<\/a> or send them to me by email at baketime@nytimes.com<\/a>. (By submitting photos to us via email, you agree to our reader submission terms here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Cosmic Blondies<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> to view this recipe in the app.<\/p>\n

Prep time: 10 minutes<\/p>\n

Cook time: 50 minutes, plus 1 hour cooling<\/p>\n

Total time: About 2 hours<\/p>\n

Yield: 24 blondies<\/p>\n

INGREDIENTS<\/p>\n

For the blondies:<\/p>\n

1 cup\/227 grams unsalted butter, plus more for greasing<\/p>\n

2 ice cubes<\/p>\n

1 tablespoon vanilla extract<\/p>\n

2 \u2154 cups\/340 grams all-purpose flour<\/p>\n

1 teaspoon baking soda<\/p>\n

1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), or \u00bd teaspoon fine salt<\/p>\n

1 cup\/220 grams dark brown sugar<\/p>\n

\u00bd cup\/100 grams granulated sugar<\/p>\n

2 large eggs<\/p>\n

\u00be cup\/4 ounces\/113 grams chopped semisweet chocolate chunks or chocolate chips<\/p>\n

\u00be cup\/4 ounces\/113 grams mini M&M\u2019s<\/p>\n

For the ganache:<\/p>\n

\u00bd cup\/120 milliliters heavy cream<\/p>\n

12 ounces\/340 grams chopped white chocolate (about 2 cups; see Tips)<\/p>\n

Pinch of salt<\/p>\n

2 food colorings of choice, preferably gel paste food coloring<\/p>\n

Sanding sugar (optional), for decorating<\/p>\n

Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling<\/p>\n

PREPARATION<\/p>\n

Make the blondies: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, (preferably metal because it conducts heat better), and line the bottom with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides. (These become your \u201chandles\u201d to make the blondies easier to remove once cool.)<\/p>\n

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium. Once it begins to bubble vigorously, cook for another 4 to 6 minutes, swirling occasionally, until the bubbles subside and turn into foam, and toasty brown flecks begin to float on the surface. Take off the heat and scrape the bottom of the pan. Carefully add the ice cubes and stir to melt (the mixture will bubble rapidly at first). Pour the browned butter into a heatproof liquid measuring cup; it should measure 1 cup (and if not, you can supplement with water). Stir in the vanilla extract, and set the brown butter mixture aside.<\/p>\n

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk both sugars and the brown butter mixture for about 1 minute until the sugar starts to dissolve and the mixture looks less grainy. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking heartily after each addition to make sure they\u2019re well combined.<\/p>\n

Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and using a flexible spatula, stir until all but a few pockets of the flour are absorbed. Fold in the chocolate until evenly distributed and no floury bits remain. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.<\/p>\n

Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, until the top looks set and the sides begin to pull away from the pan\u2019s edges. Remove the pan from the oven and gently tap it a couple times on a clean work surface to create a chewier texture, then let the blondies cool completely in the pan. Transfer to a cutting board for decorating and cutting.<\/p>\n

Make the ganache: In a medium saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium until small bubbles start to form around the edges and steam starts rising from the surface, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the white chocolate and salt. Let the chocolate melt in the hot cream for a minute, then whisk until no chunks remain.<\/p>\n

Dividing evenly, quickly pour two-thirds of the ganache into 2 separate small bowls, leaving the remaining one-third in the saucepan. Tint the chocolate in the bowls with food coloring (see Tips). Pour alternating dollops of the colored ganache all over the surface of the cooled blondies, then dollop the plain white ganache to cover the empty spaces. Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, swirl and smooth the colors until the desired effect is achieved and the blondies are fully covered. Lightly sprinkle sanding sugar over the surface, if using, then lightly dust the surface with flaky sea salt. Allow the ganache to set, either 30 minutes at room temperature or 15 minutes in the fridge.<\/p>\n

Use the parchment sling to lift the blondies from the pan to a cutting board. Cut the blondies into squares and serve immediately, storing any leftovers in an airtight container in a single layer at room temperature for up to 3 days.<\/p>\n

Tips:<\/p>\n

Make sure to use real white chocolate and not white baking chips (cocoa butter should be an ingredient) for the ganache, as the baking chips could cause your ganache to seize.<\/p>\n

Choose two colors that don\u2019t contrast, such as blue and orange, unless you want brown swirls. Pink and purple, green and yellow, and red and blue are some combinations that would work well when mixed. Gel food coloring intensifies as it sits, so start with just a couple drops; you can always add more!<\/p>\n