Tag: blondies

Peanut M&M Blondies

peanut m&m blondiesAs a godmother, I believe that my responsibilities to the lovely three-year-old Maureen Elizabeth Mowery include, among various other things, teaching her about how to be a good person, encouraging her to embrace her feisty girlness, and providing her with baked goods at every holiday. I’m fond of creating care packages for her and her family, picking out fun-colored tissue paper for padding and placing all manner of treats inside, like last month’s Rice Krispie shamrocks, last fall’s pumpkin chocolate chip bread, or some other easy-to-ship concoction that can withstand the trip through the mail from Pittsburgh to southern Maryland.

Last night, I realized that I only had a few days left to go until Easter, and I needed something to send to my main gal Mo. Such things happen when you’re two weeks away from your association’s national conference and you’re lucky to be able to put a coherent sentence together…holidays tend to sneak up on you. Anyway, because most Easter-related cookies are sugar cut-outs that aren’t all that conducive to shipping, I sought a sturdier treat idea. Fortunately I had some Easter-colored peanut M&Ms in the treat jar (a jar given to me by Mo’s grandma, my favorite aunt, Aunt Liz), and I did a quick internet search for something that could be made with those. Fortunately, I found a peanut M&M blondie recipe and adapted it just slightly to suit the other ingredients I had on hand.

Note: you could easily substitute the half-cup of dark brown sugar and half a cup of the white sugar for one cup of light brown sugar. Since I didn’t have enough light brown on hand, I did a quick substitution and they turned out just fine. The recipe below is adapted from one found at A Full Measure of Happiness.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 12 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1 12.6-ounce package Easter-colored Peanut M&Ms

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 pan completely with foil and lightly spray with baking spray.

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, dark brown sugar, and white sugar; mix well to combine.

Add melted butter and stir to incorporate slightly; add eggs and vanilla extract and stir well to fully combine.

Add peanut M&Ms and mix with your hands to combine well; using a spoon just wasn’t effective for me.

Press dough into the prepared pan and bake for 23-25 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then lift out by the foil and place on a wire rack; peel foil back slightly and allow to cool completely.

Once cool, remove foil entirely and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Chip Blondies

chocolate chip bars 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wonder if people really ask their neighbors to borrow cups of sugar. It happens all the time on older television shows, facilitating friendships between spirited women and will-they-or-won’t-they love matches between handsome guys and pretty gals.

Last night, I fell one half-cup short of the requisite two cups of packed light brown sugar in this recipe. For a brief moment, I thought about running next door to ask if my neighbors had any, but I settled on a quick internet search and found the solution. (As it turns out, mixing equal parts dark brown sugar and white sugar will yield a similar flavor and texture.) And then, I wanted to know who came up with the world’s baking substitutions? Who took the time to experiment, and how did they get the ratios just right? Whoever they were, I’m grateful for them, for their bravery to try something new instead of just abandoning their recipes, and then for sharing that knowledge with the rest of us.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 13 x 9 baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar and melted butter; mix well.

Stir in baking powder, salt, and vanilla until well combined.

Add flour and stir until well combined.

Add eggs and stir until fully incorporated.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread batter in buttered pan and bake for 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool completely in the pan.

Peanut Butter Cup Blondies

 

 

 

 

 

This weekend I was online searching for recipes that call for 10×15 baking pans, as my dear friend Carrie gave me one for my birthday this summer and I’ve yet to use it. And while I found several promising ideas for 10 x 15 baking (stay tuned for pumpkin roll, which will be coming soon), I also discovered this blondie recipe, baked in an 8 x 8.

This recipe yields a dense, chewy, peanut butter cookie-like blondie with ample candy pieces, so I recommend cutting them into small squares. You could add even more peanut butter cups or chocolate chips if you wish; next time, I think I’ll add toffee bits or salted peanuts for extra crunch.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 8 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 16 miniature peanut butter cups, cut into fourths
  • 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line an 8 x 8 baking dish with foil and coat the foil with cooking spray.

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

In a large bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, peanut butter, egg, and vanilla and mix well.

Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Add peanut butter cups and chocolate chips and mix well; you may need to use your hands to get everything fully incorporated.

Press dough into baking dish.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until top is fully set, edges are brown, and a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool in pan for about 30 minutes, then lift out and place on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting.