Memorial Day weekend typically kicks off a summer's worth of celebrations, from graduation parties to wedding showers and casual evenings with friends and family. Today's recipe for Dot's Blondies With Chocolate Chips is my mother's secret weapon for any and all occasions. They are, to put it mildly, remarkable.

Last May, I baked hundreds of these blondies for my son Sam's high-school-graduation party. As a result, I spent the better part of the event answering guests' questions about how to make Mom's moist, chewy, buttery morsels.

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Dot's Blondies with Chocolate Chips is a much-loved family recipe for a dessert that some people call brown-sugar brownies.

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They are ridiculously easy. You don't even need to use a mixer, sift flour or wait for butter to soften. Just stir everything together and put it into the oven. My only problem is fending off teenagers who flock to the kitchen with every batch. So I double the recipe if I want enough for a party.

Blondies (sometimes called brown-sugar brownies) have been around for generations, but what makes my mom's different is the dense, chewy texture. They rise in the oven, and then fall in the middle. Also, you add the eggs at the end, which is counterintuitive for experienced bakers. Mom's reasoning is that by then the batter has cooled enough so the eggs won't "cook."

Who knows whether this is scientifically responsible for her success, but I have tried other methods, and they're not the same. Mom's method is fast, easy and fantastic, so who am I to argue? When it comes to blondies, I listen to my mother.

Write to Desperation Dinners, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x12-inch baking pan well with butter. Set pan aside.

Melt 2 sticks of butter in a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl covered with a paper towel. Remove the bowl from the microwave oven, and add brown sugar. Stir well. Add baking powder, salt and vanilla extract, stirring until completely incorporated. Stir in flour, again stirring until it is well mixed. The batter will be stiff.

Crack eggs into a small bowl, and beat them well with a fork or whisk. Add eggs to batter and stir with a spoon until they are completely incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips (and nuts, if using).

Spread batter in greased pan. The batter will be stiff and sticky. You may have to spread it to the edges of the pan with the back of a spoon, but don't worry too much about getting it exactly even. The batter will spread as it bakes.

Bake until the top begins to get golden brown and the blondies just begin to pull away from sides of pan, about 20 to 25 minutes. (Baking time will vary depending on your oven and type of pan.) Do not overbake! Cool for at least 20 minutes, and cut into small squares. Store in an airtight container or cover well with plastic wrap. These bars freeze very well and improve in flavor after the first day.

Makes 2 dozen.

Note: To get the proper texture, do not use an electric mixer. You do not need to sift the flour, but spoon the flour into the measuring cup so as not to pack it too much. Use the spoon handle to brush away extra flour and thereby level the top of the measuring cup.

PER BLONDIE: Calories 316 (41% fat) Fat 10 g (6 g sat) Cholesterol 38 g Sodium 59 mg Fiber 1 g Carbohydrates 31 g Protein 2 g