Back with Blondies

Hello faithful readers! I assume that if you're still here, you must be faithful because I have been slacking in the posting department. This Q4 (every 4th night) call schedule is horrible for this blog. However, today is my day off...the first in more than a week. I am SO excited. Anyway, the recipe today is from Dorie Greenspan, so you know it has to be good (even though the pictures are horrid!). Honestly, I haven't made it completely how she recommends, but it was good, nonetheless. It is a blondie recipe chock full of goodies. I've made this twice with different goodies. The first time, I used chocolate chips, toffee, pecans, and coconut. The second time (basically because this is what I had!) I used chocolate chips, white chips, pistachios, and coconut. The first batch was better but both times good. I also changed up the base just a bit. Instead of using a full cup of butter, I used one stick (1/2 cup) of butter and 1/2 cup of applesauce. I must tell you that I think this still produces a rich and delicious blondie without detriment to the end result. So, try it out...especially if you have residents to please! Yes, I took this to one of my Q4 calls! :-) So, enjoy Dorie's Chewy, Chunky Blondies (as I made them)

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup no sugar added applesauce (I used one individual container)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup toffee pieces
1 cup chopped, toasted pecans
1/2 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cream butter, applesauce, and sugars; add vanilla. One at a time, mix in the eggs. Reduce speed and add dry ingredients. Stir in the chips, toffee, nuts, and coconut. Spray the bottom of a 13X9 pan and spread the batter in the pan. Place in an oven for 40 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting OR if you can't wait, use a plastic knife or lettuce knife to cut. Enjoy!

A Hit and ARF

My team was on call last night, so I baked cookies. I took these but made a few changes like adding nuts, decreasing butter by 2 T (knowingly) and adding that 2nd egg (accidentally). They turned out just as good if not better than before. Believe it or not, with a few random residents thrown in there, my two residents polished the whole batch off! We had a LONG night and needed the caffeine. :-) So, today, I'm tired. I got the most sleep of anyone last night...about 2 hours compared to 30 minutes and none. I took a 2.5 hour nap today and will sleep good tonight going into my DAY OFF!!! I'm going in search of a banana-pumpkin bread or muffin recipe to make tomorrow. If you know of one, let me know. While I do that, I leave you with this berry muffin. It's from a new show on The Food Network. I really enjoyed the show and recipe...maybe I'll check her out again. I did make a few changes to this recipe. The muffins stayed fresh for several days without getting that old muffin stickiness to them. So, if you have some straggler blueberries or even some frozen, try this out. If Cate still had ARF Tuesdays, I'd send this recipe for sure!!
Sunny Morning Muffins adapted from Sunny Anderson
Ingredients

* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* Pinch ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 ripe bananas, mashed
* 2 large eggs
* 1/4 cup canola oil
* 1 1/2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, eggs, oil, and sugar. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Do not over mix. Fold in blueberries.

Scoop batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out with a few crumbs but not wet, about 30 minutes. Cool on a rack to room temperature.

Peanut Butter Cookies ala Magnolia Bakery

I started a new rotation on Wednesday and have been quite busy since then. Tomorrow is my first day off! This morning my alarm didn't go off and I was 45 minutes later than I wanted to be...AH! Good thing it wasn't a weekday or else I would have been late. Let me just say one thing...PLEASE, don't feed your 2 month old french fries...formula or milk ONLY! Yes...I know! Now to the cookies. I made these pretty soon after I got back from NYC. I figured they would be a good tribute to my wonderful trip. I have a pretty standard peanut butter cookie recipe but these turned out to be very good. They have the added element of chocolate chips, if you like. I found the recipe at Smitten Kitchen. Enjoy!

Magnolia Bakery Peanut Butter Cookies
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (for sprinkling) sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk (I omitted b/c I used margarine)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Place sprinkling sugar on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crissscross pattern (I like using sugar to keep the fork from sticking), but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.