Nutella Blondies w/Nutella Caramel

IF YOU ARE WATCHING YOUR SUGAR INTAKE, STOP... These bars are not for you. Holy Diabetic Coma. O my goodness. But if you want a blondie that does not became a brick after one day, with a delightful homemade caramel sauce on it.... These are it. Heaven help you. These were made on Friday afternoon for a party, they still were moist and delicious on Monday. How often can you say that about Blondies. Pretty close to never. This is why I almost never make them. As good as they taste, one or two days later, in the garbage can.

I am having some alignment problem with my website.. I started to frost these bars, cut them and added the remaining frosting. Almost all the sides were covered. Ooey Gooey mess of finger licking goodness. These bars could be included in some decadent FUN... (Just saying)

OK, Nutella in the blondie and and the caramel sauce.. Totally elevated something regular to a whole new level. Think about this when you are baking and cooking. Bump it up a notch. Food does not have to be boring. Enjoy your food and your life.

There are a lot of ingredients here. Do not let this dissuade you, Just the blondie bake, add the caramel sauce when done. Just a different type of frosting. Actually, this bar calls for a glaze on top, absolutely unnecessary. There is no need.

Nutella Blondies w/Nutella Caramel

loosely adapted from cookingandbeer.com

Ingredients

Blondies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup Nutella

2 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup white chocolate chips

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Nutella Caramel 

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup Nutella

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with tin foil. Spray with cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium skillet, add the 2 sticks of butter. Cook over medium low heat. Stirring occasionally. The butter will foam and then start to cook. You will smell a wonderful nutty aroma. Please keep an eye, so that the butter does not burn. Once the butter turns, remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the brown butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each one. Add in vanilla and mix. Gently mix in flour, salt and baking soda. DO NOT OVER MIX. Gently fold in white chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth out the top

In a small bowl, mix together granulated sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture over the top of the blondies in an even layer. Bake for 20-22 minutes. They will puff slightly. When done baking, remove from oven and let cool.

While the blondies are cooling, prepare the Nutella caramel. In a heavy bottom saucepan, add the granulated sugar and heat over medium heat. Regularly stir the sugar. The sugar will turn this beautiful amber brown color. Once all the clumps have melted, add the butter and continue to stir until melted. VERY slowly, add the cream into the sugar butter mixture. It will bubble, this is OK. Boil for 1-2 minutes. Then remove from heat. Immediately stir in the Nutella, vanilla extract and sea salt. Set aside and let cool.

Once the caramel is cooled, pour a thin layer over the blondies. Cut the blondies and spread out slightly. Pour the remaining caramel over the blondies the coat most of the sides. It will make each piece special.

This batter comes together quickly. If you were out of white chocolate chips, it would not be a tragedy.

All ready for the oven.

Once out of the oven, the blondies are puffed.

Plain old white sugar... nothing special

Starting to melt and form clumps

Almost totally melted. A few clumps still left. Do you see that beautiful brown color

Added the butter and then the cream to the mixture

ONE WORD ~~ Nutella

Nutella Caramel Sauce.. This could be used for so many different things..
Ice cream, plain old brownies, out of the pan...

Pouring the thin layer before I cut them

Most of the sides are covered

I took these to a party. They look a bit intimidating. 

Once the first person tried one, they were devoured. 

Everyone raved about these.

I saved a few for my Husband, 

WHOA, I got his approval. 

Chocolate Fluffernutter Bars

These bars are AMAZING.... I was scouring new recipes for something different. Like I do not have a zillion recipes. I have made them twice. Everyone just devoured them. They are moist, taste sinfully delicious and are quick to throw together. If you are a new baker and want something easy and guaranteed to impress, these are it.

Just to confuse you a bit, 

I divided my pan in half, and used two different chips. 

Both were Winners.

The second time I made these bars, I used Reese Chips and Peanuts.

Everyone liked them this way also. Be my guest and venture out, you may 

create another new flavor I have not thought about.

Chocolate Fluffernutter Bars
adapted mostly from picky-palate.com
Ingredients
1 box Yellow cake mix
1 large egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup marshmallow creme
14 oz (whole can) sweetened condensed milk
12 oz bag of either semi sweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13 baking pan with aluminum foil. Spray foil with cooking spray.

Place cake, egg and butter in a large bowl. Mix until well incorporated.
NOTE: The first time I made this, I did it by hand. WOW - what a lot of work. 
The second time I made this recipe, I did it in my stand mixer. WOW - NOT a lot of work. 
Press dough into prepared baking pan.

Place peanut butter, marshmallow cream, and condensed milk into a large bowl and mix until combined.
NOTE: I used the same bowl as the bottom dough. Ensured everything was out of pan. 
Pour over the crust and then top with chips and optional peanuts. Bake for 23-25 minutes. Edges will just start to seem brown.

Let cool completely and remove from pan and cut. They have a nice shelf life because they are so moist, but really they will be devoured and gone.

Simple starter ingredients

 

Mixed by hand. Press down just fine

Done in a mixer in a minute or so. Worked just fine also

Pressed into pan. The base for all the goodness to follow

Not pictured, but a third option, Peanut butter chips. Your choice

A nice full pan of heavenly deliciousness

Ready for cutting and eating.

Brown Butter, White Chocolate & Pecan Cookies

Today is one of my sister's birthday. She lives in Florida. I really wish I could hang out with her and eat cake, or cookies or pie. When we were younger, my Mom would make Triffle for her birthday. (Each one of us has our favorites.) Strawberries were still in season, homemade vanilla pudding and whipping cream. And Cake.  OMG amazing. Such a simple dessert could be SO showy and delicious. My Mom always used this big glass vase on a tall pedestal for this dessert. It did make a birthday special.

I have not made anything showy in awhile. Between cookies and bars for my Sweets business, a day job, and taking a Wilton Cake decorating class, my days buzz by. I am on the third level of classes from Wilton. Fondant. I was not sure I would like this class, but I like the creative side of it. I am working on Calla Lillys, Roses and Carnations.  I really like. I still like the taste of butter cream frosting, but fondant is just fun.

I have two trays to make for customers for Friday. About a month ago, I came across this recipe. It is amazing.  I love brown butter in anything. The dough is delicious and the cookies just melt in your mouth. These are a very bad habit. Even if I sell them all, there is always 1 or 2 left behind

The combination of brown butter, toasted pecans and white chocolate. The flavors just meld together and burst in your mouth with deliciousness. The recipe goes together quickly and they always set up nicely. I have made at least five batches of these cookies, always the same. YUMMY.

Brown Butter, White Chocolate & Pecan Cookies

adapted by coffeeandcrumpets.com

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup toasted chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Set aside

To make the Brown Butter. Place both sticks of butter in a saucepan on medium to low heat. As the butter melts, swirl around in the pan. The butter will bubble and foam up. Continue to swirl and stir. Brown bits will start to form and a nutty smell will fill your kitchen. Do not let it burn, just brown. 

In a container, add both sugars and pour in brown butter. Mix together. Let cool completely. It can be made the night before. Chill for 1 - 24 hours. If made the night before, please refrigerate.

Mix the flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add brown butter and sugar mixture. Mix for 2 -3 minutes until nice and smooth. Add one egg at a time, beating after each one. Add vanilla extract and just mix. Add the flour mixture to batter and mix until just incorporated. Fold in the white chocolate chips and toasted pecans until evenly distributed.

You can then chill the dough again if you want. I love the flavor of dough. Just like my chocolate chip cookies, this is a three day dough. You do not have to do that, if it does not work for your schedule.

Using a cookie scoop, place dough on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. The should just be golden around the edges. 

Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer onto a rack to cool  

I am always tempted to just eat the cookie dough

Lovely cookies that spread just so.

I believe my husband ate all of these.

I really recommend these cookies for any occasion, especially a birthday. 

A perfect combination of flavors.