Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Blondies

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Recently we found out that Alex has some unexpected time off from school this coming May. Seeing as he RARELY gets time off, I am always the first one to yell, “So where are we going??” as soon as any window of opportunity arises. It got me thinking back to our first international trip together. When we were seniors in college we traveled with a small group of students who were also interested in the healthcare field to Ecuador. From Quito we made our way a few hours out to some remote jungle villages. Here we helped some local physicians provide healthcare, medicine, and dentistry to those who did not have the ability to travel to a doctor normally.

Alex and I arrived in Quito a few days early in order to explore the city. Thank goodness that Alex is fluent in Spanish because everyone we got directions from only spoke Spanish! We tried the local cuisine, explored the beautiful cathedrals, got pulled out of the crowd to dance with Ecuadorian dancers who were half our height (no joke! I felt like an absolute giant), and hiked on a volcano.

But way before we even made our way down to Ecuador, we raised a large portion of our funds through a “bake sale”. I ran an ongoing bake sale where anyone could order an item off my menu, and I would deliver it. My most popular item was my brown butter snickerdoodle cookies. OMG I remember testing which recipes I wanted to add to my menu, and this cookie’s dough is amazinggggg. Seriously, brown butter is where it is at!

So with that inspiration, I created this brown butter snickerdoodle blondies. If you have never had a blondie before it is basically a brownie without the chocolate. Sounds not fun, I know, but trust me, blondies are great in their own way. Loaded with cinnamon sugar on top, there is no mistaking that these blondies have a snickerdoodle taste. The flavoring of brown butter is most noticeable in the raw cookie dough, but settles as the dough bakes in the oven to create an overall richness.

Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Blondies

Prep time:

Bake time:

Serves: 16 2" squares

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8" baking pan, set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt.
  3. In a small saucepan, brown the butter. Melt the butter, stirring frequently, bringing to a boil. Remove from heat once the butter starts to brown.
  4. Transfer the browned butter to a large mixing bowl. Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to let butter cool.
  5. Stir in eggs, brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and vanilla.
  6. Gently fold in the dry ingredients.
  7. Pour batter into the pre-lined baking pan, and smooth.
  8. In a small bowl, mix together 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 2 Tablespoons sugar. Sprinkle evenly over batter.
  9. Bake for 25 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.