Peanut Butter Cinnamon Blondies

Peanut Butter Cinnamon Blondies (with Peanut Butter Frosting)
original recipe from evilshenanigans

Ingredients

For the blondies:

• 1/3 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup

For the frosting:

• 1 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.
3. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and egg.  Add the syrup until combined.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until no flour remains. Pour into an 8" x 8" well-buttered or sprayed pan and spread batter to the edges. 
5. Bake for 27-30 minutes.  Let blondies rest and cool while you make the frosting.
6. For the frosting: In a small bowl, use and electric mixer to whisk butter, peanut butter, sugar, and milk together. 
7. Cut and frost the blondies before serving. 

Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
from Good Housekeeping The Great Bake Sale Cookbook 

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (see below for substitute)
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 packages cream cheese, chilled
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, melt butter on low heat.  Add unsweetened and semisweet chocolates, stirring frequently, until smooth.  Remove saucepan from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Then add 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating.  Beat in almond extract, 1 egg, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until combined.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Remove chocolates from sauce pan into a large mixing bowl.  Add 1 1/2 cups sugar and mix with a fork.  Add 1 1/2 cups sugar.  Next add 4 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla; mix well.  Gradually add flour mixture until all ingredients are incorporated.
6. Spray a 13" x 9" baking pan with cooking spray.  Spread 1 3/4 chocolate batter in prepared pan.  Then, spoon cream cheese mixture in 6 large dollops on top of chocolate batter.  Next, spoon remaining chocolate batter in 6-7 dollops over and between cream cheese mixture.  With a tip of a butter knife, pull and swirl through mixtures to create a marbled effect.  
7. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of pan comes out almost clean, 35-40 minutes.  Cool completely in pan before cutting and serving.

Unsweetened Chocolate Substitute

1. In a small bowl, use the microwave to heat 1 tablespoon of butter until melted.
2. Add 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to melted butter and stir until combined. 
3. For this recipe, 4 tablespoons of butter were used with 12 tablespoons of cocoa powder.

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Cinnamon Blondies

Cinnamon Blondies 
Recipe from Foodbuzz

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 large egg plus one egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter; then, immediately add brown sugar.  Stir until combined and cook for 1 1/2 more minutes.  Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cinnamon.  Set aside. 
4. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla to the brown sugar mixture and whisk. Pour sugar mixture over flour mixture.  Use a fork to combine ingredients.
5. Spray an 8" x 8" baking pan with baking spray.
6. Pour batter into the pan. Bake for 30 minutes until the edges are slightly golden brown 1-2 inches into the pan on all sides.  Try to not over bake!  Allow blondies to cool completely before serving.  I cut mine into 25 mini-sized bites. 

Peanut Butter Blond Bombshells

Peanut Butter Blond Bombshells
Adapted from Good Housekeeping's The Great Bake Sale Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 stick butter
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 large eggs (or 2 small ones)
• 1 1/3 cup roughly chopped dark chocolate (about 4.4 oz)
• 4 tablespoons smooth peanut butter, separated (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium metal pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Set aside to cool.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Add sugar and vanilla to cooled butter. Whisk until combined; then, add eggs.
5. Slowly add flour until all ingredients are incorporated.
6. Using a rubber spatula, fold chocolate into mixture, reserving 1/3 cup for later.
7. Coat a 9" x 9" baking pan with baking spray, and use spatula to spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Add one tablespoon each of peanut butter to four corners of the pan (about 1-2 inches in from the sides). Use a knife to swirl the peanut butter into the mixture. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate on the top of the mixture.
8. Bake for 28-30 minutes. Allow blondies to set before cutting and serving. 

Cappuccino Squares

The recipe for "Cappuccino Triangles" caught my eye in my tiny Good Housekeeping Bake Sale cookbook. A mistake in the recipe also caught my eye...zero in on a missing step!

Tisk tisk!  The recipe turned out well with my addition, though, and they were a hit when I brought them to school.  I used an immersion blender to make my glaze, which came out lighter than expected.  Although the original recipe calls for instant espresso powder, I substituted coffee granules instead.  Enjoy!


Cappuccino Squares

Ingredients
For cookie bar:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
• 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs

For glaze:

• 3 teaspoons milk or water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 13" x 9" metal baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Prepare cookie bar: In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt butter with coffee over low heat. Remove saucepan from heat. Wait until butter mixture is lukewarm before adding sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until combined.
3. Use a rubber spatula to stir in flour mixture until blended.
4. Spread dough evenly in prepared pan. Bake until totthpick inserted 2 inches from edge of pan comes out clean, 27 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
5. Prepare glaze: In small bowl, whisk or use immersion blender to combine milk, vanilla, and coffee. Next, add confectioners' sugar and cinnamon until blended. Spread glaze evenly over cookie bar with a small spatula.
6. Put pan in the refrigerator and let glaze set for at least 30 minutes. Set at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before cutting squares and serving.

Candied Blondies

Candied Blondies
Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• little less than 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup candy (plain m&m's and 8 roughly chopped Reese's Mini PB cups for me)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.
2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. 
3. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Use cooking spray to line a 9x9 baking pan. 
4. Whisk in brown sugar and vanilla to melted butter. Whisk in egg until mixture is glossy and smooth.
   Whisk flour mixture into butter mixture. Stir in candy pieces, reserving 1/4 cup of Reese's to sprinkle on top.  
5. Spread in pan and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup candy. Bake until a pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.