A question of utmost importance came up recently, nagging and nagging for an answer. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. Somebody must know the solution! If not in real life, then out there on the internet, somewhere, this must have been addressed before:
What is the difference between a Congo Bar and a Blondie?
Growing up, my mom wrote her recipes on index cards, only slightly-organized in little plastic and metal treasure boxes. They were loosely sorted by course (Main Dish, Dessert, Breakfast…), but after that, you never knew what you would find. In fact, sometimes, it could take several hours to find exactly what you were looking for if–goodness, no!–it ended up being returned to the wrong category after its last use. This wasn’t the best method, but it’s what she had, and it worked for her for many years.
One treasured recipe in those boxes was for Congo Bars. In fact, it was so treasured, she had it down twice, with only a minor variation in measurement for brown sugar between them. Before I moved out, I copied down my favorites, including both of these, as I could not see a life without Mom’s Congo Bars.
Fast forward many years later, past the widespread acceptance of the internet and newfangled ways to organize recipes, past the several years I didn’t bake while I was losing weight and trying to keep it off, past the days I worked in an office and didn’t bake much, to today. Where I now spend my days pondering which recipe to make next. Where I see infinite varieties, producing infinite varieties, of just about anything imaginable. And where I was introduced to the Blondie.
Blondies were never part of the repertoire as a child. I never even heard that term until a couple years ago when I came across them for the first time on Smitten Kitchen. And ever since then, they’ve been a bit of a nemesis for me. I never seem to be able to get them baked the way I want–you know, not completely underdone in the middle or so overdone that they could be used as hockey pucks. Why are they so elusive to me?
Recently I had a revelation though: aren’t my Mom’s Congo Bars basically just Blondies by another name? Could it be, just maybe, that like the sub, hoagie, grinder, this is just a difference of regional dialect?
I asked on Twitter and received in response that Congo Bars have coconut.
Really?
My Mom’s Congo Bars don’t.
Neither of the recipes.
Was my Mom passing off a Blondie all these years as a Congo Bar instead? Did she make her own variation to the recipe decades ago and rather than re-naming it to the acceptable colloquialism for the masses, she stuck by the original name?
I don’t know. But I do know that her Congo Bars taste darn fantastic AND I never mess them up like I do with Blondies.
So who cares what they’re called anyway? As long as they taste good, that’s all that matters.
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter
- 2¼ cups light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 3 large eggs
- 2¾ cups all purpose flour
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup walnut pieces
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper, then set aside.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Let it cool slightly, then stir in the brown sugar.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating fully.
- Add the dry ingredients, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, and nuts, stirring until there are no dry spots left.
- Spread in the prepared 9×13 baking dish.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Cool completely before removing from the pan and cutting.
This post is participating in Alli ‘N Son’s Sweet Tooth Friday! Check it out and see what other sweets are on the table today.
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11 comments
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Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust
16 September, 2011 at 3:53 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Delicious! Whatever they end up being…they look fabulous and I’m sure they taste even better.
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust recently posted..Ice Cream Buttercream Frosting
Sasha @ The Procrastobaker
17 September, 2011 at 4:35 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
This was a lovely post! Your mum was ahead of the times it seems
these do indeed look and sound absolutely perfect, and family recipes are allwaaysss the best, so this is definitely tempting me indeed! 
Sasha @ The Procrastobaker recently posted..Brandy Snaps
Carrie @ Crafty Moms Share
17 September, 2011 at 8:45 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Ok, these websites seem to have an idea about the debate…don’t know how much truth there is in it.
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/09/09/congo-bars/
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/blondies/
Hope that helps. From my quick research it could go both ways.
Carrie @ Crafty Moms Share recently posted..What is important? What do we value?
The Poet Herself
17 September, 2011 at 5:32 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Thanks, Carrie! We came to the conclusion on Facebook that all Congo Bars are Blondies, but not all Blondies are Congo Bars… sorta like all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares.
Whatever they’re called, they’re still pretty tasty!
Bonnie
17 September, 2011 at 8:06 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I have had this recipe for 40 years and I have always called the Congo Bars. And aren’t they good! No coconut…
The Poet Herself
18 September, 2011 at 10:17 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
There you have it! She’s not the only one who had this recipe!
Madison Chloe Marie
18 September, 2011 at 1:21 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I’ve had blondies at Ruby Tuesday’s, but I’ve never had a congo bar before, they sound so intriguing especially when I’m feeling like indulging into something sweet and fabulous.
myFudo
18 September, 2011 at 8:07 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Congo bars – what a name,sounds very delicious.Thanks for sharing. Nice photos too.
Kate @ Food Babbles
18 September, 2011 at 4:06 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Yum! Yum! Yum!! I need these right now!
Mike @ How To Make A Smoothie At Home
19 September, 2011 at 11:59 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Great recipe!! Can’t wait to make it for my family!!
Mike @ How To Make A Smoothie At Home recently posted..Peanut Butter Banana Protein Smoothie
Allison @ Alli n Son
22 September, 2011 at 5:11 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I agree, as long as they taste good, who cares what they are called.
Thanks for stopping by Sweet Tooth Friday!
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