Blondies
Hubby and I decided to send baked goods to our moms on Mother’s Day this year. Of course I was happy to help. I wanted to make something that would travel well and (of course) something I’ve never made. Since we were preparing for our kitchen renovation at the time, I also wanted to use up some of the random half bags of cookie mix ins.
Blondies fit my requirements perfectly. This blondie recipe is pretty well known. I made one batch with just dark chocolate M&Ms and another batch with some white chocolate chips, toffee bits, and chopped walnuts. Both batches turned out great and the one with the white chips turned out better than I expected. That combination of mix-ins tasted like butterscotch.
Blondies – from Blonde Ambition in the Kitchen
6-7 TBS butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder (optional, creates lighter blondie texture)
“Add in” (see below)
Preheat oven to 350.
Line an 8×8 pan with foil and lightly spray with PAM.
In a large microwave safe mixing bowl melt the butter. Allow to cool for 5 mintues. Mix the brown sugar with the melted butter and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla. Add salt, stir in flour and baking powder (if using). Mix in any additions (some ideas below).
Pour into prepared pan and use a greased spatula to evenly spread mixture in pan and level the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set in the middle. (I baked for 22 minutes)Cool on rack before cutting.
Add in ideas:
1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate or butterscotch chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds
1/2 cup M&M candies1/2 chopped Reese’s PB cups
1/4 cup toffee pieces
1/2 tsp mint extract in addition to, or in the place of vanilla extract
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
These look amazing! I love that you added even more peanut butter flavor too!
Mmmmmm! These look incredible!! AH! My weakness!!!!
Oh wow!! This looks soo good. I would make the cupcakes with the Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate cake recipe and then use the other recipes you provided. Thanks!!!!
You could definitely use any chocolate cupcake recipe that you want!
These look awesome! I bet they’re really rich!
Holy. Cow.
These look sooo darn good!
I saw your picture on Tastespotting and had to see more! Your cupcakes look delicious!
Wow, these look beyond incredible! I’m completely impressed 🙂
peanut butter cups…one of my favorites!! What an awesome cupcake!!!
Oh. My. God. I think my DH is packing his bags to leave me as we speak!
These look soooo good. I bet it’s all you can do to eat one they are so rich!
These look delicious! Chocolate and peanut butter is the most fabulous combination!
Alright, so you’ve gotta make some cupcakes when we are in Pennsylvania. These would work. Yummy!!!
haha no prob Scott. Just let me know what you’re in the mood for. These were delicious…
The only time I like chocolate or PB is when they’re together so these are looking pretty good to me!
~ingrid
Btw, your salmon and the “sauce” looked really good too!
~ingrid
Thanks so much for the link back, your cuppies look amazing.
I just discovered these and can’t wait to make them. Love chocolate and peanut butter.
I just made your vegan chocolate cupcakes over the weekend for some vegan friends and they were a huge hit. I had bookmarked this cupcake recipe for mother’s day because I LOVE peanut butter cups.
Anyway I wanted to let you know the woman from Confetti Cakes was on Rachel Ray and they posted the official recipe on the Rachel Ray website. Not sure if you want to link it?
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/chocolate-cake/
THank you for this post! I tried the cupcakes out here: http://www.themediamaid.com/2012/cupcake-celebrations/
and loved it!