note: When something is really good, E calls it scrummy yummy. We like to use it now too.
I’m on a great quest. The quest for greatest blondie recipe. (like a brownie, but pale and not full ‘o cocoa powder) that I can tweak final ingredients to make a lot of variations. I expect it’ll take me a few tries but that’s ok. I’m going to enjoy the process. I love to bake, and I love to try my own experiments and make stuff up. It’s fun – and my best creations have happened this way.
I made my first attempt last week and it didn’t come out very good. Well it was ok, but not great because it was too cake-y and not moist/fudgy enough. As I explained why I considered it a fail to my husband he shrugged and said he didn’t care – that it was great to him. I sighed, frustrated that he didn’t see that this, this bar cookie really was more cake than blondie and that it wasn’t a great bar cookie because it was just too cake-y.
Then the lightbulb went off.
What do you do with a cake? You FROST IT. Of course, the answer is so simple! I added a cheap “white frosting” from Pillsbury – just a very thin layer, and then sprinkled my cinnamon sugar (yes, that’s something I keep on hand and you should too!) on top of that. Result? Magical fall apple/chocolate/toffee/cinnamon cake!!! It’s all gone now, but it will be brought back, possibly with different add-ins.
Here’s the recipe:
{mix and set aside}
2 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
{then in sauce pan}
3/4 cup butter – heat until melted, try not to get too hot!
{mix in}
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
{carefully add}
2 large eggs – stir a lot and make sure the butter isn’t hot so you don’t fry them eggs!
4 tsp. vanilla
2tsp cinnamon
{then whisk into dry ingredients bowl until smooth}
{now gently fold in:}
1/2 granny smith apple diced fine (about 1/2 – 1/4″ cubes)
1 large Hershey Symphony (milk chocolate with almonds & toffee) bar chopped up
1 handful semi-sweet chocolate chips
pour into greased 8×8 pan and bake at 325 (metal/dark) or 350 (glass) until done. About 40 minutes. I didn’t do a toothpick test- I just watched for it to be firm & start to pull away from edges.
{when cool}
frost very lightly with “white” frosting – I think cream cheese might taste great too.
dust with cinnamon sugar to finish
This sounds fantastic. Thank you!
Oh goodness that looks so yummy!!!
For Blondies recipes, go to Food Network and Bobby Flay’s Throw Down – I know he did a whole episode on Blondies
yummy! I will have to try this. thanks for the recipe.
Oooooh. Thanks for sharing your recipe! I’m so impressed that you made this up all by yourself. I’m not that experimental with baking. I tend to do more experimenting with chicken and veggies, but not with baking. I don’t get the chemistry right.
The key is to look at recipes and see the basic _ c flour + __ baking powder/soda + __ fat (oil, butter, etc) and wiggle from there.
Yum. I’ve beenthinking about trying to make blondies lately too. Which is weir, because if it isn’t chocolate I don’t think it’s worthwhile. But I want to try and make blondies. I am convinced I should be able to find a recipe for blondies + craisins. I don’t do much baking or cooking, so I haven’t looked yet. If you decide to experiment please share your results. =) Please!
Yum. I’ve been thinking about trying to make blondies lately too. Which is weird, because if it isn’t chocolate I don’t think it’s worthwhile. But I want to try and make blondies. I am convinced I should be able to find a recipe for blondies + craisins. I don’t do much baking or cooking, so I haven’t looked yet. If you decide to experiment please share your results. =) Please!