The Rum Raisin Bars from Patricia Helding’s Fat Witch Brownies: Brownies, Blondies and Bars from New York's Legendary Fat Witch Bakery (Rodale, Sept.) are fantastic. I went straight for this recipe because I love blondies and anything with raisins (and rum!), and the short list of ingredients was so standard, I happened to have everything in my pantry. These blondies had a completely normal amount of butter, a modest amount of eggs, and no “secret” ingredient of any kind, so I was truly surprised that something so remarkable came out of my oven. They were the wettest, gooiest blondies I’ve ever had, intensely butterscotch-y, with moist, plump raisins and a distinct hint of sweet, spicy rum. They melt in your mouth. Also, they’re very pretty, especially if you use both dark and golden raisins. I will definitely make these again, and now I’m excited to try more of the bars and brownies from this book.

Rum Raisin Bars

½ cup light rum

1 ¾ cups raisins (I use both dark and golden raisins, but all of one or any proportion is fine.)

1 ½ cups unbleached flour

1 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter softened to room temperature

1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pour the rum into a medium-size bowl and then stir in the raisins. Cover and let soak for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Grease a 9" x 9" baking pan with butter. Dust with flour and tap out the excess. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla and continue mixing until the batter is well combined.

Measure the flour and salt and sift together directly into the batter. Mix the batter gently until no trace of the dry ingredients remains.

Strain the rum-soaked raisins of any rum that might be left in the bowl, and mix in the raisins by hand.

Using a spatula, spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. You may have to use your fingers (lightly flour them first), as this batter is very sticky.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with only crumbs sticking to it, not batter.

Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 1 hour. Cut just before serving.

Makes 12 to 16 bars

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