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Chewy Carrot Toffee Blondies

Apr22

I am a carrot cake snob, put a good piece in front of me and I will savor every bite; unfortunately it isn’t too often that I meet a carrot cake that qualifies.  I didn’t even like “that vegetable cake” before I had the mouth-watering bite in Jacksonville about 9 years ago, and since then I’ve looked for its match, only to be disappointed.  Carrot cake is tricky to make, many are too dry, too sweet, too much spice, too much icing, the wrong icing…I don’t judge, I am not a pastry chef, I just want that stinking good carrot cake again! 

Carrots straight out of the dirt

As an amateur baker, with huge expectation regarding carrot cake, I have decided I am just not to up to carrot cake making, so when I got these carrots from my neighbor’s garden I had to think outside the box, which led me to blondies.  Vegetable in desserts…

Chewy Carrot Toffee Blondies

Ingredients

  • 8 oz butter, melted
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ground ginger
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cup finely grated carrots, about 3 large carrots
  • 1/2 cup toffee pieces

Method

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Combine melted butter, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger in large mixing bowl and blend.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.  Slowly add flour and salt, until incorporated.  Mix in carrots and toffee pieces.   Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the batter evenly.  Bake on for 45-50 minutes, until golden in color.  Allow blondies to cool before cutting into squares.

Makes about 32-40 squares.

Vegetables in Dessert- Think of it as an efficiency!

Carrot and toffee are a complementary combination, add a pinch of salt in and there is the icing on the cake! 

Chewy, Salty and Sweet- Perfection

Happy Eats!!!

Candy Corn M&M’s and Pretzel Blondies!

Oct30

National Candy Corn Day!! Candy Corn M&M's and Pretzel Blondies!

It is National Candy Corn Day, very convenient as the Halloween Candy is starting to be on sale!  I saw this little treat at The Little Kitchen and could not resist!!  I thought I would add some pretzels instead of the suggested pecans- I love adding salty to sweets!  A few sun-dried cherries would also be delicious!

  • Candy Corn M&M's and Pretzel Blondie Mise en Place

  • 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped pretzels
  • 3/4 cup M&M white chocolate candy corn candies, chopped

 

Sprinkle some crushed M&M's and Pretzels on top before you bake!

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Take an 8×10-inch baking pan and cover in foil and spray with baking spray.
  • Mix brown sugar and egg until it is well mixed, add vanilla and melted butter stirring until well combined.
  • In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients, flour, baking soda and salt.
  • Slowly add flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until all is incorporated. 
  • Gently fold in pretzels and M&Ms (Reserve a tablespoon of each).
  • Add batter to the pan, it will be thicker than a brownie or cake- you will have to spread the batter in the pan.  Sprinkle some crushed M&M’s and pretzels over the top.
  • Bake for about 25-28 minutes until the top is golden blonde!
  • Allow to cool for about 10 minutes and remove gently from pan.
  • Makes 16-20 blondie squares.

    Happy Halloween!! Candy Corn M&M's and Pretzel Blondies

Celebrate National Candy Corn Day and many Happy Haunts!