Monster Blondies

This girl loves any fabulous bar recipe.  The best are ones that bake consistently, have great texture and the right ingredients.  However, my ‘taste’ changes as do the ‘add-in’ ingredients I have available in my pantry.   Here’s a great recipe, ready to accommodate your own creativity.  The texture of this bar is perfect.  It is moist, sturdy enough to hold its shape when cut and has just the right amount of oats.

I was in pantry-clean-out mode when I came up with this recipe, it was a sheer stroke of luck that I happened upon the all star ingredient line up that needed to find its way into a recipe and not overcrowding my pantry shelves.  For some reason I had an overabundance of mini chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, English walnuts and fancy sea salt (fleur de sel). The beauty of this bar recipe is that you can customize it however you want!  The ingredients with a ** behind them note that they are the add-ins.  You choose your own add-ins, just make sure your selections are around 2- 2 1/2 cups total.  They can be made as cookies or bars, you choose!

*Side note… the doily in the picture above was created by my Great Grandma on my Dad’s side.  Very historical and very cool.  I can’t believe the detail of the piece, so intricate, so ornate and SO beyond my level of skill.  Great job Great Grandma!

Here’s the recipe!

Customizable Monster Blondies

Makes 1-9×9 inch pan of bars or 2 dozen large cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks of room temperature butter (salted or unsalted)

1 C brown sugar, packed

1/2 C granulated sugar

1 1/4 tsp sea salt (Fleur de sel is my favorite.  You can certainly substitute regular salt here, just reduce the amount to 1 tsp.)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 C all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 C regular oatmeal

1/2 C butterscotch chips**

1 C mini chocolate chips**

2/3 C English walnuts, chopped**

Turbinado or granulated sugar.

In a mixing bowl, cream softened butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.  Add salt, eggs and vanilla, mix 30 seconds. Add flour, baking soda (sprinkle evenly over butter mixture) and oatmeal then mix for 30 seconds.  Add butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and walnuts.  Mix only until combined.  Pour dough into a greased pan and spread evenly.  Sprinkle on 1-2 TBSP sugar for extra crunch. (I used a 9×9 square pan) Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  (Slightly less time if using a 9×13 pan).  *For cookies, scoop generous 1/4 C portions out, roll in sugar and bake for 15-17 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Other add-in combinations:

M&M (1 C), chocolate chips (1/2 C), raisins (1/2 C)

Dried cranberries (3/4 C), white chocolate (3/4 C), slivered almonds (1/2 C)

Dried cherries, dark chocolate chips (1 C of each)

Golden Raisins (1 C), macadamia nuts (1 C), White chocolate chunks (1/2 C)

Reese’s Pieces (1 C), mini semi sweet chocolate chips (1 C), chopped roasted peanuts (1/2 C)

Macadamia nuts (1/2 C), Toasted coconut (3/4 C), White chocolate chunks (1/2 C)

The possibilities are endless… if you have a grand idea, email me at foodandswineinfo@gmail.com and give me your suggestion to add to this ‘add-in’ list!

Someone didn’t understand that the healthy portioned bar I just cut wasn’t for his snacking pleasure but rather a picture (above) showing the bar on a plate with a glass of milk nearby.

That wasn’t mine?  Really?  I’m hurt.

Give me one… now!

Crying over.