Pumpkin Blondies

So, there were a couple of reasons for me being M.I.A. on the blogging scene, one of which being our trip to North Carolina that I posted about last time.  The other reason is that I got a new job!!!  The transition from one job to the other has kept me really busy - starting with the interview for the new gig, finding out that I actually got it, and then training my replacement for the old one.  My last day was just this past Friday, and it took a lot of organizing and teaching to pass the torch to the new me.  I really wanted to show her everything because I wanted to leave the people I've been working with in good hands.  I know they are - just wanted to do everything I could to make sure, ya know?!  Also note, I may have been working with them on improving their health for the last year and a half, but I wanted to go out with a bang, so I took them a treat on my last day.  These pumpkin blondies were a hit!  Not so healthy, but definitely festive and delicious.  They loved them, and I know you will, too.

Pumpkin Blondies

Adapted from My Baking Addiction

Ingredients

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 1/3 c. all purpose flour

1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

15 oz. canned pumpkin puree

12 oz. chocolate chips (mix of white & bittersweet)

3/4 c. chopped pecans, optional

Directions

1. Line a 9x13 inch pan with tin foil & spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Whisk together dry ingredients.

3. Cream butter & sugars until smooth.

4. Beat in egg & vanilla.  Then beat in pumpkin.

5. Mix in dry ingredients until just combined.

6. Fold in chocolate chips.

7. Pour evenly into prepared pan & bake for 35-40 minutes.

8. Let cool completely in pan.  Remove from pan by grabbing the edges of the foil and set on counter or flat surface to cut squares.

***I covered them and let them settle over night because I wanted them to be more chewy than cakey (they were cakey right out of the oven).  They were perfectly chewy the next morning!!!

{TWD} Chewy, Chunky Blondies...better than you know what!

Mmmmmmmmm...

Oh, my.....

There are hardly any words to describe this...this...its more of an experience than a dessert.  No, there aren't any words to do it justice.  Just sounds.  It'll have you moaning and curling your toes before you've even swallowed your first bite.  Seriously.  So rich, and absolutely just too much to handle in the middle of the day.  You have to eat this at night, otherwise you'll feel guilty.  Don't ask why, its just one of those things.  Eat it while its still warm and gooey from the oven.  But its just as sinfully delicious the next day. 

p.s. only share this with the ones you truly love, or people will get the impression that you care more for them than you really do.  Its that good.

Chewy Chunky Blondies

Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Click HERE to visit Nicole of Cookies on Friday for the complete recipe.

***I left out the walnuts, but put in both heath bits AND butterscotch chips.  Divine.***

*PeRfEcT Peanut Butter Fingers

What is creamy and/or chunky, delicious, and can make all of your problems seem to melt away? There's only one right answer here, and you all know exactly what it is ... peanut butter. Whether you're eating it on a sandwich, in ice cream, on a banana, in cookies, or just feel the need to load up a spoon and enjoy it lick by lick, peanut butter is sure to make you feel better about pretty much anything. Unless you're feeling a little crazy and try to pair it in a shake with mint (I don't know why Dick thought that one would work!), but those are the few and very far betweens. This little dessert has been a personal fave for years, and I recently tasted the best recipe ever, so I had to try making it for myself. The secret touch to this recipe that sets it apart from all others I've tried is a generous layer of peanut butter on top of the "crust" just before you add the chocolate frosting. GENIUS! Ashley, whose brilliant idea that step of the process was has forever changed my peanut butter finger loving life. All I can say is pour yourself a glass of milk, and prepare yourself, because half of the pan will be gone before you know it!

Peanut Butter Fingers

From Ashley Olney

Ingredients

3/4 c. butter

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 c. peanut butter, plus extra for middle layer

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 c. flour

1 3/4 c. quaker oats

chocolate frosting (store bought or homemade)

Directions

mix all ingredients in a large bowl. heat oven to 375 & cook for 10-12 minutes. let cool. spread peanut butter on top, followed by chocolate frosting.