Butterscotch Apple Blondies

It snowed for the first time this season yesterday. It wasn’t too bad. Instead of crumpling my face into Mr. Wrinkles and complaining, I decided to bundle up and enjoy the beauty of the winter wonderland around me.

And it WAS beautiful. It wasn’t too cold and the snow was perfect for packing and making a snowman – although I didn’t get to. Biting my mittens off made me want to go skiing so. freaking. bad.

With the colder season I’ve been baking a lot with apples. After the fall harvest my boyfriend and I were left with over 50 apples to bake and cook with. FIFTY! Luckily, I was in the mood to try new things and ended up coming up with a variety of recipes ranging from apple butter to cookies to these blondies. I brought these blondies into school and they were devoured in a matter of minutes. I hope you enjoy them!

To begin, preheat oven to 350° and spray a 9×13 baking pan lightly with cooking or baking spray. Then, cream butter and brown sugar in mixer until smooth.

Add eggs and vanilla and beat on medium until combined.

On low, add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mixing until just combined.

Stir in the chopped apples and butterscotch chips until evenly distributed.

Spread in prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes until the center is set.

Let cool completely before slicing or frosting.

It’s hard, I know…

Now, onto the buttery crazy-delicious icing. Melt butter in a medium saucepan.

Add brown sugar and milk and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Stir in powdered sugar with a whisk.

Let cool until it thickens enough to spread.

Stir before spreading on top of blondies and then pour that deliciousness on top.

Let frosting set for 30 minutes and then cut into bars.

Dig in! Awww, yeah.

Butterscotch Apple Blondies
Adapted from Cookies and Cups

Blondies
Ingredients:
2/3 cup room temperature butter
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup peeled, chopped tart apple (about 1 large)
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350° and spray a 9×13 baking pan lightly with cooking or baking spray.

Cream butter and brown sugar in mixer until smooth.

Add eggs and vanilla and beat on medium until combined.

On low, add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mixing until just combined.

Stir in the chopped apples and butterscotch chips until evenly distributed.

Spread in prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes until the center is set.

Let cool completely before slicing or frosting.

Brown Sugar Frosting
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add brown sugar and milk and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Stir in powdered sugar with a whisk.

Let cool until it thickens enough to spread.

Stir before spreading on top of blondies.

Let frosting set for 30 minutes and then cut into bars.

Christmas Baking – Butterscotch Marshmallow Squares

I don’t know why I don’t just pretend it’s Christmas every month. I’m having so much fun!! I wake up, turn on some good Christmas oldies (Tony Bennett’s “I’ve got my love to keep me warm” is on currently) and get to baking. It’s heaven in my kitchen every day. My hands smell like brown sugar and butter, and I have butterscotch on my cheek with no worries.

This recipe, is an old one from my Great Aunt. I remember several Christmas goodies that she made, but these Butterscotch squares were my favorite. If my six year old self would have known how easy these were, she would have been a butterball herself.

First add your butter to a saucepan over medium heat.

Add your butterscotch chips.

Add your peanut butter.

Let them melt together and then take your pot off of the heat. Let mixture cool down a little for about 8 minutes.

Get 2 cups of mini marshmallows ready and add them to the butterscotch mixture.

Mix together melted ingredients with marshmallows, and place in a 9 x 9-inch square pan. Cool in the refrigerator (about 3 hours).

When the butterscotch goodness is ready, cut it into 16 squares and enjoy.

Ingredients:
½ cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
2 small or 1 large pkgs of butterscotch chips
2 cups of mini marshmallows

Directions:
1. Melt butter, peanut butter, and butterscotch chips together in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Mix together melted ingredients with marshmallows, and place into a 9 x 9-inch square pan.
3. Refrigerate for approximately 3 hours.
4. Cut into squares and enjoy! These will keep for up to a week in the fridge. You can freeze them too :)

Nanny’s Butterscotch Pie

Oh my, Beautiful Butterscotch Pie.

My Nanny (another word for Grandmother in my family) makes the best butterscotch pie going. Since I was little I remember finishing my dinner quickly, and sitting patiently at the table until it was pie time. Butterscotch pie only comes out at special occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas, and when it does I go wild for it. WILD I tell you. I could eat a whole pie and be completely content.

Since Thanksgiving (Canadian of course) is coming up, I thought I’d share my favorite dessert with you. A dessert that really means something to me. It reminds me of family, and how happy a simple meal could make us when I was a child. It reminds of a time when I wasn’t constantly worrying about scholarships and deadlines. This dessert is special to me, my favorite, and I hope you like it :)

First, prepare your crust in a 9-inch pie pan. My favorite pie crust recipe is by the Pioneer Woman, and I use it for ALL of my pies and most of my tarts. This filling recipe makes enough for one pie, so double the recipe if you need to make two.

To prepare the filling, separate your eggs, lightly beat yolks and set aside the whites (you’ll use these for the meringue later). In a double boiler, whisk together all of the filling ingredients until smooth. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and pour into your pre-baked pie shell.

Once you’ve poured your amazing concoction into your pie shell, you can start your meringue.

Immediately spread the meringue over the hot filling, anchoring it to the edge of the crust at all points. Place meringue VERY close to the crust, working inward.

Bake for 20 minutes (or until meringue has a nice brown top) at 350 degrees F. Let it cool on a wire rack and serve!

Nanny’s Butterscotch Pie
Makes filling for one 9-inch pie

Ingredients:
Perfect Pie Crust
1. Get the recipe and directions here.

Filling:
1 cup brown sugar
4 HEAPING tbsp all purpose flour
2 egg yolks
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp butter

Meringue:
2 large egg whites (1/2 cup), at room temperature
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp vinegar

Directions:
1. Prepare your crust in a 9-inch pie pan, and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.To prepare the filling, separate your eggs, lightly beat yolks and set aside the whites (you’ll use these for the meringue later). In a double boiler, whisk together all of the filling ingredients until smooth. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and pour into your pre-baked pie shell.

3. To prepare meringue:
a) In a clean, grease free glass or metal bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until foamy.
b) Add cream of tartar and beat until soft but definite peaks form.
c) Very gradually beat in sugar. Beat on high speed until the peaks are stiff and glossy, but not dry.
d) Add vanilla and vinegar.
e) Immediately spread the meringue over a hot pie filling, anchoring it to the edge of the crust at all points. Place meringue VERY close to the crust, working inward.

4. Bake for 20 minutes (or until meringue has a nice brown top), and cool on a wire rack.
5. Serve and enjoy!

*The pie can be stored for up to three days in the refridgerator.