Best Blondies....

Once again, I was spoiled for my birthday. AJ treated me to Barefoot Contessa's new cookbook, Julie & Tori found a stellar pair of patton-leather wedges to replace the sad and dilapidated pair I am currently still wearing and my mom and dad went way over-board like they usually do. Typically, I pretty much know what I can expect to open from each and everyone of them. This year, I was actually thrown a curve ball from an unlikely culprit.

Tim, being the kind and generous soul he is, decided to switch up my birthday gift this year. Thankfully, I was not the recipient of another bottle of Hypnotic. Who seriously drinks that crap? In case you might, I have two bottles I would be more than willing to hand over. In its place, he arrived at our home with a case of Fat Tire and Whitney Miller's cookbook. Whitney, for those of you living under a rock, was the first season winner of MasterChef. It was on this day our AACC initiative began.....

Whitney is a Southern Belle and most of her recipes are inspired by her grandmother's recipes and her southern roots. Scanning the book, my eyes were immediately drawn to the Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Blondies. I love sweet potatoes and I LOVE peanut butter. I will admit, I have been known to be found with a spoon full of peanut butter in my mouth more often than I would like to....well admit.

Nonetheless, I had to make these delicious little golden brown squares of heaven. So after a long day of work and a session at the gym, I poured myself a glass of vino and got busy last Friday night.

The recipe is very simple and difficult to mess up, but I did. Not terribly mind you, but mine came out a little denser than the picture in the book. Instead of stirring in the lightly beaten eggs into the mixture of melted butter and brown sugar, I poured the unmixed egg into the mixture of melted butter and brown sugar and then beat it all together. It did not necessarily change the taste of the blondie ~ actually it did not at all. The only thing it altered was the density of the blondie. Instead of being light and fluffy ("It's so fluffy I could die!") it was light and dense (seems contradictory, but it's not, I swear). It turned out more like a brownie than a blondie. However, the taste was to die for....absolutely delicious.....mouth-watering delicious. With a glass of milk or little homemade whipping cream on top they are pure perfection.

While my first run of the blondies can be improved next time, they are the perfect combination of sweet potato and peanut butter. For someone who does not love overly sweet desserts this is a perfect alternative for you!

Thankfully, this time I escaped by baking/wine drinking without a burn, which I consider to be a success in itself! If you are interested in this recipe, please let me know. I am happy to share! Quick prep time and super fast baking time. Although, the recipe says bake for 18 minutes, I would recommend 20-22. With that being said, cooking time might have more to do with our cheapo oven than anything so go for the 18 and use the old toothpick trick to check and see if a few more minutes might do you good!

While I do love to bake the amount of bowls, whisks, spoons and measuring equipment you have to use does drive me a little batty. This is what my kitchen sink looked like after preparing the batter.

Thankfully, I used the cooking time to tidy up a bit only to have my husband destroy the place the next morning when making breakfast. I enjoy that he loves to cook, but hate the mess he leaves behind ( more to come on that topic soon).

For more from Whitney click this link http://whitneymillermc.blogspot.com/