Nancy Drew Blondies

I'm not sure why these blondies are named after Nancy Drew, but I am sure that this is a fantastic blondie recipe!  This recipe makes a blondie that is chewy and rich, rather than cakey -- the equivalent of the fudgey brownie in blondie form.  So tasty!  You can change up the mix-ins as you like...I like a mix of chocolate, nuts, and dried fruit, but go with what you like and have on hand.

Nancy Drew Blondies (adapted from Leite's Culinaria, original recipe here)
Makes one 8x8 pan

6 T cold, unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp ground vanilla beans or vanilla extract
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 large egg, cold
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup minced pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8x8-inch square pan with baking spray.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.  Remove from the heat, and stir in the brown sugar, vanilla, and salt with a sturdy rubber spatula.  Quickly stir in the egg until free of lumps.  Add the flours, and stir until just combined.  Stir in the chocolate, cranberries, and pecans.
3. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan -- it will be very thick.
4. Bake 23-30 minutes, until the blondies are golden and crinkly on top and set in the middle. A tester should come out with just a few stray crumbs attached.