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1
Butter an 8x8 pan and preheat your oven to 350.
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2
Brown your butter. Slice into even pieces, and heat in a pan over medium heat. Allow butter to bubble and froth up, stirring occasionally to make yourself feel better about things. Once you see the little brown bits emerge and sink to the bottom, you're good.
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3
Pour your browned butter -- dark bits and all -- into a large bowl. Let cool briefly, about five minutes, to keep your egg happy (and un-scrambled) later on. Incorporate your brown sugar, trying to eliminate any big clumps. I like to pound mine out with a wooden spoon, or press feverishly with the back of a fork.
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4
Mix in the egg, vanilla, and bourbon until everything is combined. Add your flour and salt and stir until you have a smooth, golden batter.
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5
Pour about 80% of the batter into your pan. Spoon little glumps of caramel atop the batter, then swirl through with a knife. Top with the rest of the batter, then smooth everything over so you have a nice even top layer. Sprinkle with flaked salt if that's your thing.
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6
Bake for 20-25 minutes. You want the blondies to be fudgy, but cooked through -- there's a lot of potential for goo here. Cool in the fridge before slicing. Bring into the office on a Monday.
