Tag: blondies

Spiced Pecan Blondies

spciedpecanblondiesAre dark and light brown sugar interchangeable? It probably depends on who you ask, but I’d say yes, for the most part. Dark brown sugar contains more molasses, giving it a richer color and flavor than the light variety. And in my kitchen, dark brown sugar turns to a rock in a matter of days after it’s opened, so I try to use up the whole bag quickly when I do bake with it.

These spiced pecan blondies are an adaptation of a recipe I’ve made many times before, and they’re a great way to use up dark brown sugar. I used apple pie spice for my spice in this recipe, and it was very subtle; next time, I’d probably add a full teaspoon. This recipe would also be good with just cinnamon, too.

Ingredients

  • 10 2/3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted and cooled
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with baking spray.

In a large saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar. Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture melts and becomes smooth. Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once cool, add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and apple pie spice; batter will become fairly thick. Stir in pecans, then spread into an even layer in the pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until top is a very light golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.

Cut into bars while still warm; when completely cool, remove from pan and store in an airtight container. Makes 24.

Chocolate and Caramel Chip Blondies

chocolate and caramel chip blondiesMy niece, Margaret, was born on Halloween. Margaret is technically my cousin, as her mom is my cousin Barb, but to her I’m Aunt Amy given the age gap. Anyway, I think having a Halloween birthday would be really cool – you get to dress up, there’s always going to be some kind of party, and spooky season is fun in a lot of ways. I like to call Margaret “Count Margula” around her birthday in a nod to Dracula, a starring figure in this season.

These chocolate and caramel chip blondies made their way to Count Margula and her sister, Mo, for their Halloween/birthday enjoyment and they were a big hit. I used Nestle caramel chips, which I think tasted a lot like butterscotch and less of caramel than I wanted, but overall they turned out well.

Ingredients

  • 10 2/3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips, plus about 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
  • 3/4 cup caramel chips, plus about 2 tablespoons for sprinkling

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with baking spray.

In a large saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar. Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture melts and becomes smooth. Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once cool, add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Stir in flour, baking powder, and baking soda; batter will become fairly thick. Stir in chocolate chips and caramel chips; the mixture will be thick. Spread into your pan, then sprinkle additional chocolate chips and caramel chips over the top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until top is a very light golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.

Cut into bars while still warm; when completely cool, remove from pan and store in an airtight container. Makes 24.

Almond Croissant Blondies (aka Frangipane Blondies)

almondcroissantblondiesCroissants aren’t really my thing, to bake or to eat. If I do eat one, I want an almond one filled with frangipane. So what is frangipane, you ask? It’s an almond paste commonly found in pastries and tarts, like the Bakewell tart from England. In this case, an almond blondie base gets a layer of frangipane on top of it, then a layer of sliced almonds on top of that, not unlike the almond croissants you can find at bakeries and your local Starbucks.

What I know is this: these treats are absolutely delicious. They remind me very much of the croissant version, and I definitely want to make them again. I found this recipe at Lifestyle of a Foodie, and it absolutely did not disappoint.

Ingredients

For the blondie layer

  • 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 egg, at room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/3 cup almond flour

For the frangipane layer

  • 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon orange zest, optional
  • 2/3 cup almond flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds, for topping

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 baking tin with parchment paper.

Make the blondie layer: In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well, then add in almond and vanilla extracts and beat to combine. Add salt, flour, baking powder, and almond flour and beat to completely combine. Spread batter into the prepared tin.

Make the frangipane layer: In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk and beat to combine, then add vanilla extract, almond extract, and orange zest and beat well. Beat in almond flour and salt to make a smooth paste.

Spread frangipane over the blondie layer, then top with sliced almonds. Bake for 30-34 minutes, until edges are golden and center is just set. Allow to cool in the pan for about 25 minutes, then remove from the pan by lifting the parchment and cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares; makes 16.

Peanut Butter Mississippi Mud Blondies

pbmississippimudblondiesMississippi Mud is a pie, an ice cream, and cake…and now a type of blondie, apparently. Recipes vary, but they all seem to involve various types of chocolate, fudge, and sometimes coffee; other versions use pecans and marshmallows, which to me seen more like a Rocky Road combination than a Mississippi Mud one to me. In any case, these blondies are epic – a salty and sweet combination of a peanut butter cookie base, mini marshmallow middle, and chocolate icing.

This recipe comes from Oh Sweet Basil, which reports the calorie count on these treats at a whopping 519 per square. I totally believe it; they are out of this world. I adapted the icing to include more vanilla extract and added a bit more powdered sugar because it was pretty warm in Pittsburgh today, and I wanted a firmer icing texture.

Ingredients

For the blondie base

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows

For the icing

  • 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 baking tin with parchment paper and lightly spray with baking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add peanut butter and beat for 1 minute, then add egg and vanilla extract and beat until smooth, scraping down your bowl. Add flour mixture and beat to combine, then stir in peanut butter chips. Press into the baking tin and bake for 25-28 minutes; top with mini marshmallows, then bake another 2-3 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before icing; to make the icing, beat butter and cocoa powder on low, then medium speed, to combine. Add powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla and beat until you have a smooth consistency. Spread over marshmallows; allow to set before serving. Cut into 16 squares and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Slutty Blondies (aka Blondies Have More Fun)

sluttyblondiesOkay, so…why these are “slutty” blondies, I honestly don’t know. I’m not sure we should be judging their morals either so I also call them Blondies Have More Fun because that seems a little nicer. These delicious treats have a sugar cookie base, Golden Oreo middle, and blondie top, meaning the calorie count is completely off the charts. But they are amazing, and I’m planning to make a classic Oreo version later today, so we’ll see how that turns out. I adapted this recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking to omit the white chocolate chips in the blondie layer, but you could certainly add those in if you like.

Ingredients

For the sugar cookie base

  • 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

For the Golden Oreo layer

  • 12 Golden Oreo cookies

For the blondie top

  • 8 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×9 baking tin with foil and spray with baking spray.

Make the sugar cookie layer: In a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine. Add flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and beat to combine completely. Press mixture into the bottom of the baking tin; top with Golden Oreos.

Make the blondie layer: Stir together melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and egg; add flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and stir to combine completely. Batter will be fairly thick; spread it over the Oreo layer using a spatula.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting; makes 16.

Cinnamon Roll Blondies

cinnamonrollblondiesThe flavors of a cinnamon roll with the convenience of a blondie? Yes, please. These treats were very easy to make, though I approached the cinnamon layer somewhat differently from how the original recipe, which I found on Celebrating Sweets, was written. I also tweaked the icing to include some vanilla extract and more powdered sugar because…well, I do that.

A word about the icing: I’d probably wait to ice these until right before serving, because the cream cheese icing takes a while to set up in the fridge…causing the blondies themselves to get firmer than I’d like them to be. Still, the flavor is delicious and I’ll absolutely make these again.

Ingredients

For the blondie layer

  • 8 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the cinnamon layer

  • 2 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • dash of salt

For the icing

  • 2 ounces very soft (almost melted) cream cheese
  • 7 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 baking tin with foil and spray the foil with baking spray.

Make the blondie layer: Combine melted butter and brown sugar and whisk until well combined, about 1 minute. Add egg and vanilla, whisking to combine. Fold in flour, baking powder, and salt with a spatula; spread in the bottom of the baking tin.

Make the cinnamon layer: Melt butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan and whisk until smooth. Stir in cinnamon and salt. Spread across the top of the blondie layer.

Bake for 21 – 24 minutes, until edges are beginning to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool before icing.

To make the icing, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Drizzle or pipe across the top of the bars; refrigerate bars to set the icing before cutting and store in the fridge until serving. Makes 12.

Peanut Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Blondies

peanutbuttertoffeechocolatechipblondiesYou cannot imagine how many bags of chocolate chips I have in my house at any given moment. Milk chocolate, semisweet, dark chocolate…not to mention cinnamon chips, espresso chips, caramel bits, toffee pieces…the list goes on. There’s a basket in the pantry area of my basement filled with them, bags upon bags of delicious little nuggets just waiting to enhance a recipe.

Blondies, like brownies, are one of my favorite things to bake because you can create whatever you want with them – and this time I wanted a peanut butter toffee chocolate chip combination, like a hybrid of the chocolate chip toffee blondies I baked earlier this summer crossed with Reese’s Pieces blondies from a few years back. The end result, I’m happy to report, is delicious. My nephew Roman started his junior year of high school in North Carolina a few weeks back, and these are his back-to-school treats.

Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled for 3 minutes
  • 2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips, divided
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons toffee bits, divided

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with baking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk melted butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Whisk in peanut butter, then eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla until well-combined.

Add flour, baking powder, and salt and stir together using a rubber spatula; batter will be very thick. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/4 cup toffee bits, then spread batter into the baking pan, flattening as best you can to create an even layer. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips and toffee bits on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, then insert a cake tester in the center; blondies are done if the cake tester comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Be careful not to over-bake these; peanut butter treats tend to dry out if they’re baked too long.

Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan; lift out using parchment paper and cut into 24 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. If shipping, pack between layers of waxed paper.

Chocolate Chip Toffee Blondies

chocolatechiptoffeeblondieWould I want to bake professionally? In a bakery, where you have to work at 3 a.m., not on your life. But in a test kitchen, sure. I imagine bakers in test kitchens don’t work at 3 a.m., plus they get to experiment all day long and that sounds like fun to me.

I’m convinced that Better Homes & Gardens has one of the best test kitchens around because their recipes never fail. These blondies are a “make it mine” version from the Better Homes & Gardens Baking book, where you use a base recipe and add whatever you want to it. In this case, I used milk chocolate chips and toffee bits, a basic but delicious combination. Think Heath bar, but in a blondie. As expected, they were delicious.

Ingredients

  • 10 2/3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips, plus about 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
  • 3/4 cup toffee bits, plus about 2 tablespoons for sprinkling

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with baking spray.

In a large saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar. Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture melts and becomes smooth. Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once cool, add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Stir in flour, baking powder, and baking soda; batter will become fairly thick. Stir in chocolate chips and toffee bits; the mixture will be thick. Spread into your pan, then sprinkle additional chocolate chips and toffee bits over the top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until top is a very light golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.

Cut into bars while still warm; when completely cool, remove from pan and store in an airtight container. Makes 24.

Cinnamon Pecan Blondies

cinnamonpecanblondiesLet’s talk about how dark brown sugar for a second and how every time I use it, I end up wasting half the bag because it solidifies in my cabinet, turning into a rock-hard mass that could probably give someone a concussion if used as a weapon. I even bought one of those little terra cotta discs that’s supposed to keep it from doing this, but maybe I wait too long between recipes? Anyway…

My solution is simple: I’m baking with as much dark brown sugar as I can within a few weeks before it has a chance to become something that might be admitted as evidence in court one day. Hence these cinnamon pecan blondies, which used up the second half of the bag I bought for those brown sugar cookies a few weeks ago. Apparently dark brown sugar will last about two and a half weeks in my cabinet before it becomes dangerous…and these treats are really delicious, so you know, win-win.

Ingredients

  • 10 2/3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
  • 1/2 cup cinnamon chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13 x 9 baking pan with foil, extending foil over the sides. Lightly grease foil.

In a large saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar. Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture melts and becomes smooth. Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl and allow to cool about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once cool, add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda; batter will become fairly thick. Stir in toasted pecans and cinnamon chips – the cinnamon chips will start to melt, but that’s okay.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and spread out into an even layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until top is a very light golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.

Cut into bars while still warm; when completely cool, remove from pan and store in an airtight container. Makes 24.

Frosted Lemon Almond Blondies

Recipe adaptation continues! These frosted lemon almond blondies use the base from my Scandinavian blondies, but omit the sliced almonds on top in favor of a delicious lemon almond buttercream.

I know, you’re thinking, buttercream on a blondie? But seriously, it works. These treats have an almost cake-like texture, rather than the more cookie-like blondie. Next time, I’ll toast some sliced almonds – or perhaps toss them with some water and sugar to caramelize them a bit –  and add them on top of the frosting. Lemon and almond are two of my favorite flavors on their own, but when you combine them in these treats, they are absolutely dynamite.

Ingredients

For the bars

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
  • zest of 1 medium lemon
  • 8 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 cup flour

For the frosting

  • 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
  • 2 teaspoons milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 x 8 square baking pan.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs until light colored and thick. Add sugar and salt, continuing to beat until shiny and pale yellow.

Add extracts, zest, melted butter, and 1/2 cup of the flour, folding in gently. Fold in remaining 1/2 cup of flour.

Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading with a spatula to create an even top.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and are a very light golden color. Remove from oven and cool in pan before frosting.

To make frosting, place butter in a mixer and beat for 2 minutes, until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat on low, then medium speed, until all the sugar is incorporated into the butter; this will take several minutes, and you’ll want to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times. Add extracts and milk, beating for 2-3 minutes until smooth and spreadable. Frost bars, then cut into squares. Store at room temperature for 3-4 days. Makes 16.

Preparation