Peanut Butter Blondies

Wow I can’t believe its Friday; this week has just flown by! I’m hoping the lovely spring weather we have been having will continue through-out the weekend, as hubby and I plan on doing some gardening. I’m also hoping to get some baking done at some stage during the weekend but just in case I’m too tired after my gardening and shopping activities I decided to bake these Peanut Butter Blondies today. These blondies are moist, really chewy and loaded with double peanut butter flavour!! These nutty treats will be devoured in no time. Have a great weekend everyone!

Peanut Butter Blondies

Ingredients
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup/8 tablespoons/1 stick/113g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1½ cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs

4 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup crunchy peanut butter (NOT natural-style)
½ cup peanut butter chips
¼ cup chopped dry roasted salted peanut

Place an oven rack in the middle of your oven and preheat the oven to 350oF/180oC/160oC fan oven. Grease and line a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with baking parchment. You should have a few inches left on each short end with which to lift the brownies out when they are done.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted, cooled butter, and the brown sugar. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Whisk in the peanut butter until combined.

Add the flour mixture to the large bowl and stir just until combined. Stir in the peanut butter chips and chopped peanuts.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking time. Let the blondies cool completely in the pan, set on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Remove the blondies from the pan, cut into squares.

Thick and Chewy Macadamia and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last Friday I took my kitten Ollie to the vets for his castration and when the vet was examining him she found a lump in his lower tummy which she didn’t like the feel of and said she wanted to investigate and run blood tests, so as you can imagine I was shocked and upset to say the least! Hubby and me waited anxiously all day and then we went to collect him in the afternoon, I knew it was bad news the minute she asked us to sit down for a chat. So to cut a long story short, my Ollie is unwell and his blood tests came back showing severe abnormalities, and she couldn’t tell what the lump was from the ultra-sound and x-rays as he has fluid around his tummy. She would have opened him up to investigate the lump further but due to his low blood count and anaemia that was a big no no. And then came the news that every cat owner doesn't want to hear, she told us that she had sent tests off for Feline Infectious Peritonitis, which I had never heard of but wasn’t sounding good at all. Basically if the test comes back positive the prognosis is bad. There is no treatment or cure and it’s a death sentence and I will have to eventually euthanize. I’ve been trying to stay positive and hope the test comes back negative but at the same time preparing myself for the worse. We find out tomorrow and I’m starting to feel anxious now, however at least we don’t have to wait all day and our appointment is at 8am, thank god! I decided to take my mind off things and bake a batch of these melt-in-the-mouth cookies that are definitely for those with a sweet tooth. I have never tried the Macadamia and White Chocolate Chip combo in cookies and I can certainly say that this won’t be the last time, they are so yummy!

Thick and Chewy Macadamia and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients

2 cups (10⅔oz) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

12 tbsp/1½ sticks/170g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup packed (7 oz) light brown sugar

½ cup (3½ oz) granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1½ cup (9 oz) white chocolate chips

1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 165oC/145oC fan oven/ 325 degrees/ Gas Mark 3. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the melted butter and sugars together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, 1 or 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beater as needed.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Mix in the chips and nuts until incorporated.

Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 20 minutes.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

I'll let you all know the outcome of the test and visit to the vets tomorrow. Please keep everything crossed for us!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

What type of cookie lover are you – a muncher, a dunker, a nibbler, a splitter, or frosting licker? Whatever type, you won’t be able to resist these amazing cookies!! Keeping to my promise of baking more cookies or biscuits I decided to bake these Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Book Baking Book. These cookies certainly live up to their name; they are big, thick and melt-in-your mouth chewy and sure to satisfy every cookie lover. I have a feeling they will be flying out of the cookie tin at record speed!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients
2 cups (10⅔oz) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
12 tbsp/1½ sticks/170g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup packed (7 oz) light brown sugar
½ cup (3½ oz) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cup (9 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 165oC/145oC fan oven/ 325 degrees/ Gas Mark 3. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the melted butter and sugars together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, 1 or 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beater as needed.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Mix in the chips until incorporated.

Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 20 minutes.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Blondies

I love it when the postman knocks, as it can only mean one thing, packages! This morning I was greeted with the beautiful sight of that well known brown Amazon packaging containing my latest cookbook fix, The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book. After completing my daily chores around the house, I couldn’t wait to sit down with a cuppa and browse through my new book. This is definitely a must have book, it is packed full with so many amazing recipes that makes you want to bake them all, which for me is a “tell tale” sign of a good book. I was spoilt for choice on what to bake but I eventually decided on this Blondie recipe and all the ingredients were to hand in my cupboards. I’ve tried various recipes for Blondies but so far this recipe wins hands down and if the aroma coming out of the oven during baking doesn’t have your taste buds tingling, then wait till you taste them! These have a light melt in your mouth texture that is packed with white chocolate that comes through wonderfully with the dark chocolate and walnuts. If you love Blondies, you won’t want to miss this experience of sheer indulgence!

Blondies

Makes 24 blondies

Ingredients
1½ cups/7½ oz all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons/1 ½ sticks/170g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 ½ cups/10 ½ oz packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup/3 oz semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup/3 oz white chocolate chips
1 cup/4 oz pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 180oC/160oC fan/350oF/Gas mark 4. Grease and line a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with baking parchment, leaving an overhang for easy lifting. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk the butter and sugar together. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until combined. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the blondies until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 22 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

Let the blondies cool completely in the pan, set on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Remove the blondies from the pan, cut into squares, and serve.