I found this recipe in Joy of Cooking back in 1983, when I was a cook’s helper at Sherwood Forest camp, on Willapa Bay, Washington. The “lucky” part of the name comes from the fact that I could whip them out with one hand tied behind my back, but when some campers went into the kitchen on my day off and tried making them, they turned out as tasteless bricks.

Regardless, I still think they’re really, really, really easy to make. They’re also known as Blondies.

1/4 C melted butter
1 C brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 t salt
3/4 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 C nuts

Mix all ingredients; spread in 8×8 buttered pan. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Cut while warm.

For an elegant chocolate version, you can sprinkle the top with chocolate chips when you take it out of the oven. Let sit 5 minutes to melt (be patient — when the chips are ready to spread, you’ll know, because they’ll look glossy) and then spread with a knife. Let it cool a bit more, then cut into squares before it cools completely.