My daughter Madison had the famous Applebee's Blondie the other night when we were out to dinner with my sweet mother in law. She doesn't like chocolate at all so it's exciting when she finds a dessert she really likes. I decided I would try to recreate it at home for her and this was my first attempt. The blondie is VERY rich- but of course once you add vanilla ice cream and maple sauce- it is a SUPER sweet treat! Madison loved them- the only change we will make next time is to omit the white chocolate chips in the blondies because she said they made it just a tiny bit TOO sweet!Blondies:
1 cup margarine or butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t maple flavoring
1 1/2 cups flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 cup loosely chopped walnuts
1 cup white chocolate chunks or chips
Maple Butter Sauce:
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 cup whipping cream
2/3 cup butter
2 t maple flavoring
Blondies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. In mixer blend butter and brown sugar. Add in eggs one at a time and then add vanilla and maple flavoring. Gradually add in flour mixture till well combined. Stir in chips and nuts. Grease a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Smooth blondie mixture in pan with a spatula. Batter will be thick and sticky. Bake for 2-25 minutes. The top of the blondies should be shiny and firm when you touch the center with your finger. Do NOT over bake or they will be dry.
Maple Butter Sauce:
Combine sugar, whipping cream, and butter in small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add flavoring.
Place one blondie on plate and top with vanilla ice cream. Drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with a few walnut pieces.
TIP OF THE DAY: When trying to spread sticky and thick batter either wet hands or spray hands with cooking spray before pressing batter into pan. Once you have pressed batter in pan, then smooth over it using a spatula to get rid of any finger prints.
Tomorrow's Daily Special: Oven Meatballs
