Best Blondies Ever

So much to do, and so little time!  I haven’t done a single crafty thing lately, other than bake awesome Blondies (see Recipe below).

I have a few projects on deck:

• The rainbow quilts are coming along.  I have one of them quilted and ready to bind.  The other is basted and ready to be quilted…gottta get on that.

• I HAVE to finish a little boy kitchen like this one by June 20^th.  I haven’t even started.  Well, I have the starter piece, and the sink hole has been cut.  It needs to be primed….gotta get on that.

• We inherited some old patio furniture from my BIL.  It’s metal framed, and needs cushions.  I bought some lime green spray paint for $1 a can at Walmart the other day.  Now I need to spray the chairs down, and find some cool fabric for the cushions.  What do you think will look good with lime green?

I’m thinking something like this:

Or this:

Or this

Now…on to the Blondies.  I know I say this about everything, but these really are THE BOMB!

Best Blondies Ever Adapted from (who else) Brown Eyed Baker’s Chewy Chunky Blondies

Start with the basics:

2 cups flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter (room temp, or if you’re like me and need a shortcut, softened in the micro for 10-15 seconds)
1½ cups brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs

Here’s where things get interesting…
1 teaspoon almond extract (it calls for vanilla, but I didn’t have any, so I used almond extract, which I think really contributes to the awesomeness)
1 cup milk chocolate chips (it calls for bittersweet…ugh)
1 cup butterscotch chips (I didn’t quite have a cup, but that’s ok)
1 cup pecans (it calls for walnuts – I had pecans, but again, pecans really push this cookie over the edge)
1 cup shredded coconut (This is a key ingredient.  I know a lot of people who don’t like coconut, but if you choose to leave it out, I can’t guarantee these will be the Best Blondies Ever).

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2.  Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan; set aside.

3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.

4. In your mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add both sugars and beat for another 3 minutes, until well incorporated. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the almond extract.

5. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing just until they incorporate.  On lowest speed, add the chocolate and butterscotch chips, nuts and coconut.

6.  Dump the batter into the buttered pan.  The batter will be thick, like cookie dough.  Spread it out as best you can without pressing too hard.  You don’t want to compact it.

7. Bake for about 40 minutes.  Cool them in the pan, on a rack if you can.  It will be hard, but let them cool completely before you cut them into bars.

Enjoy!  You can thank me later.