Well, it is about time to start firing up those ovens and baking. I always miss summer but there is just something about fall time. The leaves begin to change, nights become cooler, and with that comes all those comfort foods. My comfort food of choice is anything baked. Yep, I am a carb-loving woman. I particularly love a good “bar” cookie. Mom used to make the iconic Toll House Cookie bars as a kid. However, when I got older I found the elusive Blondie.
I have always gotten the impression that the “blondie” was a brownie’s kind of boring sidekick. Well, you could not be more wrong. Here is a little food quiz for you: What came first the brownie or the blondie? The Blondie came first! The blondie first appeared on the culinary scene in 1896, by Fannie Farmer, a pioneer of modern American cookery. The recipe was titled as a “brownie” but did not have chocolate as its base. It was a blonde bar with a molasses base and tasted like butterscotch. Since then blondies have always been the alternative to the more popular chocolate-rich brownie.
Here are 2 of my favorite blondie recipes. One is a take on a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup with a salty surprise ingredient and the other is my fall go-to, the Pumpkin Spice Blondie. Both are unique and are sure to please anyone who loves some baked love from the oven.
PB Pretzel Blondies
Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 cups mini pretzels, divided
1/2 cup butterscotch chips, divided
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
Cooking spray
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, creating a “sling” for easy removal from the pan. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar until the butter is fully incorporated. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix until well combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredients, adding 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until the flour is fully incorporated. Stir in the butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, and pretzels until evenly distributed in the batter. Pour the blondie batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle broken pretzels and a teaspoon of chips on top for added texture and flavor.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the blondies comes out clean. Allow the blondies to cool completely, then cut them into squares.
Pumpkin Spice Blondies
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 large egg
2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, creating a “sling” for easy removal from the pan. In a small saucepan, gently simmer the butter until it turns “browned,” being careful not to burn it. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the melted browned butter, pumpkin puree, and dark brown sugar until the butter is fully incorporated. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix until well combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients, adding 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until the flour is fully incorporated. Stir in the white chocolate chips and chopped toasted pecans until evenly distributed in the batter. Pour the blondie batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.
Sprinkle chopped pecans and a teaspoon of white chocolate chips on top for added texture and flavor. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the blondies comes out clean. Allow the blondies to cool completely, then cut them into squares.