did i mention my ambivalence towards showy, frosted-to-death, decorated and tall-filled-with-cream cakes? they're so often filled with the fluffy nonsense that is whipped cream that don't live up to the way they look.

no, the way i like my cakes is a little rustic, a little imperfect and yet oh-so-showy like the jane-next-door who stepped out in heels and knocked every boy in her neighborhood off his feet. i bring to you a slightly unconventional cake that while not exactly planned for the celebration of a birthday, was brought to life only because of a birthday.

oh let's cut the crap here. i just want to call it a birthday cake okay?

today, a brownie ate a blondie.

surely a most controversial and wrong-sounding sentence, and yet it happened. just not the way you think it did, you dirty fella.

the white version of a brownie, with no chocolate melted in the batter, nor cocoa sprinkled over for chocolate heaven. just butter, sugar, an egg and flour, filled with pantry staples.

it was pecans, dark and white chocolate today. mm-mmmm.

bake it up for 20-25 minutes, (always under- rather than over-bake), for a chocolate chip cookie with the texture of a brownie. kinda strange, and almost cloyingly sweet (oh who the heck am i kidding, it WAS cloyingly sweet. bring the milk.)

cool, and slice into tiny squares so you don't die of diabetes right now.