Sugared & Stirred

dairy-free. still delicious.

Brownies

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies

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My favorite fudgy brownie cookies elevated with a simple peanut butter swirl. If you’re a fan of peanut butter + chocolate then these Peanut Butter Brownie Swirl Cookies are exactly what you need to bake!

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies

Calling all chocolate peanut butter lovers!! These Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies are dreamy little cookies perfect for snacking at home or taking to your next get-together. They’re deliciously fudgy when slightly under-baked and have perfect swirls of natural peanut butter on top. I love how simple this recipe is. The peanut butter flavor is just enough without overwhelming the chocolate brownie cookie. These cookies are so good.

Since these are brownie cookies, the dough will come together just like a homemade brownie batter; that’s because it is brownie batter (with a bit of extra flour + leavening)! To make sure your cookies turn out just like mine, I have a few important tips…

  • Use room temperature eggs for proper “fluffing”
  • Don’t allow the chocolate mixture to cool too much (more than 5 min) or the cookie dough will be stiffer than we want it to be
  • Sift the cocoa powder and flour to avoid any unwanted lumps in the dough
  • Let the dough sit at room temperature for at least 30 min to allow it to stiffen (so you can scoop it!)
  • Take your time when swirling the peanut butter, making “C” an “S” shapes with a small utensil (like a chopstick), being careful not to over-swirl
  • Pull the cookies out of the oven when the centers look slightly wet – this way they’re nice and fudgy! Over-baking will produce cakey cookies

How to Get the Perfect Swirl

Once you’ve mixed up your cookie dough and let it sit for 30 minutes, it’s time to scoop your cookies and swirl them with peanut butter! The best kind of peanut butter to use is a room temperature runny peanut butter. I like to use a “natural” PB with only peanuts. I get it all stirred/mixed and use it while it’s still very runny (not refrigerated!). You’ll scoop your cookies onto your prepared baking sheet. Then, you’ll use a 1/2 teaspoon to spoon the peanut butter around the top of each dough “ball” (this dough is looser than traditional cookie dough).

After each dough ball has peanut butter spooned on top, you’ll take a chopstick (or similar item) and swirl the peanut butter into the tops of the cookies. I like to make “C” and “S” shapes with the smaller end of a chopstick. It’s important not to swirl too much as you want the peanut butter to have some small pools. After you’ve swirled the PB, you can gently re-shape the cookie dough if necessary – I like to take a spoon and just push the edges a bit until the dough balls are more round.

More Brownie Cookies!

Brownie Sandwich Cookies with Peanut Butter Frosting

Rocky Road Brownie Cookies

Olive Oil Brownie Cookies

Peppermint Brownie Sandwich Cookies

Yield: 24 Cookies

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies

My favorite fudgy brownie cookies elevated with a simple peanut butter swirl! These delightful cookies are perfect for weekend snacking or taking along to your next get-together.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 3/4 cup (171g) unrefined cane sugar (or 3/4 cup/175g white granulated sugar)
  • 1 cup (190g) chocolate chips (dairy-free if needed)
  • 1/3 cup (74g) plant-based butter (see Note 1)
  • 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules or espresso powder (optional - see Note 2)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 cup (20g) Dutched cocoa powder (see Note 3)
  • 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (114g) all-purpose flour
  • ~1/4 cup (64g) runny, natural peanut butter (see Note 4)

Instructions

  1. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
  2. Add the room temp eggs and sugar to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is light in color and looks foamy and thick. This can take a few minutes (usually no longer than 5).
  3. Meanwhile, add the chocolate chips and butter to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until the chocolate is melted. Stir in the instant coffee or espresso powder; set aside and allow to cool for a few minutes.
  4. Return to the sugar/egg mixture to see if it's thick and foamy. Once it's ready, stir in the vanilla extract.
  5. Fold the slightly cooled chocolate mixture into the sugar and egg mix until totally combined. Stir in the salt and baking powder. Finally, sift in the cocoa powder and flour. Gently stir until all is combined.
  6. Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes - this thickens the batter so you can easily scoop it with a cookie scoop.
  7. Prepare your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350°F.
  8. Scoop cookies, 8 per baking sheet, using a 1.5 Tbsp scoop.
  9. Using a 1/2 teaspoon, spoon the runny peanut butter over the cookie dough "balls". Take the small end of a chopstick (or similar item) and gently swirl, making "C" and "S" shapes, the peanut butter into the dough. Be careful not to over-swirl as we like to have some thicker pools of peanut butter.
  10. Bake cookies at 350°F for 5-6 minutes or until the centers look slightly wet. You want to avoid over-baking these as that will lead to cakey cookies. It's better to take these out when they're slightly under-baked. If your cookies are slightly lop-sided you can immediately use the back of a spoon to gently press in the edges for neater, more circular cookies.
  11. Allow the cookies to cool on your baking sheet for 2 minutes before gently removing to a cooling rack. Repeat steps 8-10 until all cookies are baked.
  12. Store cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature. Covering these cookies with foil, plastic wrap, or parchment paper may lead to the peanut butter topping transferring - avoid this by storing in a single layer.

Notes

  1. Butter: you can use tub or stick plant-based butter. Regular butter, or your favorite oil, will also work in these cookies. I don't, however, recommend coconut oil.
  2. Instant coffee: this deepens the chocolate flavor but is totally optional - don't fret if you don't have any on hand!
  3. Dutched cocoa: this has a deeper flavor and darker color than regular cocoa powder. The easiest to find in the US is Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa.
  4. Peanut butter: I only recommend using a room temperature, runny peanut butter. It's thin and easy to drizzle/swirl. The kind I use has only peanuts on the ingredient list.

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cookies

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Brownie Hearts with Chocolate Icing (+ Brownie Balls)

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Get in the mood for Valentine’s Day with these simple and easy Brownie Hearts. Fudgy, mini brownies topped with a quick chocolate icing – all shaped like hearts! Plus, you’ll use the brownie scraps to make sugared Brownie Balls!

Brownie Hearts

Got a favorite brownie recipe (like these Classic Weeknight Brownies)? You’ll want to get that baked up in a 9×13″ pan – thinner brownies are easier to cut, and you’ll have more surface area for the cookie cutters. If your recipe calls for an 8×8″ pan, be sure to keep an eye on your brownies as they’re baking, because the thinner brownie may take less time to bake.

Once your brownies are baked and completely cooled, you can grab a heart-shaped cookie cutter and go to town! A smaller cookie cutter will yield more brownies than a larger cookie cutter (like the one I used).

Now it’s time to choose a topping! The options here are endless. I chose a simple chocolate glaze made from powdered sugar, water, and Dutched cocoa powder. You could do a caramel, white chocolate, or dark chocolate drizzle. You could pipe cute buttercream designs. And, of course, add nuts or sprinkles.

How to Make Brownie Truffles

Once you’ve cut the hearts out of your cooled brownie, you’ll be left with a lot of brownie scraps. Sure, you could eat this (hello, brownie edges!), but you could also make brownie truffles! Grab a cookie scoop and begin scooping brownie balls from the leftover scraps – smash it in there if you have to.

Now, smash and roll the balls until they’re smooth. After all the brownie truffles are rolled, you can use a spoon to roll each one in powdered sugar. I chose to add freeze-dried strawberry powder to mine! And that’s it! You’ve got brownie truffles to go along with your brownie hearts.

Brownie Hearts and Truffles

Brownie Hearts and Truffles

Get in the mood for Valentine's Day with these simple and easy Brownie Hearts. Fudgy, mini brownies topped with a quick chocolate icing - all shaped like hearts!

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Prepare a 9x13" baking pan or dish with non-stick spray and parchment paper. You'll want to cut two pieces of parchment paper that will criss-cross along the bottom of the pan. Fold the excess paper over the sides and trim. You'll use these "tabs" to pull the brownies out later.
  2. Bake the brownies according to the recipe directions. Allow the brownies to cool completely - you can refrigerate them to speed up this process.
  3. Cut the Hearts: run a butter knife along any brownie edges that are touching the pan. Then, use the parchment paper tabs to carefully pull the whole brownie up and out of the pan.
  4. Use any heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut hearts from the brownie. Press the cutter firmly down into the brownie and wiggle a bit before slowly pulling it up. If your brownie gets stuck in the cutter, gently press it out with your fingers.
  5. Make the Truffles: add the brownie scraps to a bowl and use a cookie scoop to scoop out brownie balls. Use your hands to smash and roll the brownie balls smooth before placing them on a plate; set aside.
  6. Blend or crush the freeze-dried strawberries. Sift the strawberry powder and throw out the larger bits and chunks - you only want to use the fine powder.
  7. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and strawberry powder. Use a spoon to roll each brownie truffle in the sugar. Place truffles back on the plate.
  8. Make the Icing: take the leftover powdered sugar mixture and add the cocoa powder. Begin mixing in water, adding it by the teaspoon until the icing comes together and reaches a thick yet spreadable consistency. Carefully spread the icing over the brownie hearts. Top with sprinkles, nuts, powdered sugar, etc.
  9. Allow icing to set at room temperature before storing leftovers in an airtight container.
© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Brownies

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Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Pizza

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A chocolatey Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Pizza with swirls of natural peanut butter, chocolate chips, and a chewy brownie base. This easy recipe will delight any brownie lover!

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Pizza

I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about eating a slice of brownie in pizza form that just makes it better. These brownies are thin and chewy all the way around, and, no matter what, you get that chewy edge. YUM. Add a swirl of peanut butter and chocolate chips and I’m there!

This recipe has my favorite brownie pizza base with natural peanut butter swirled into the batter pre-bake. The best part? They bake up in only 10 minutes! And if you’re new to making homemade brownies, WELCOME. You just may never go back to the boxed kind! To keep this thin brownie pizza nice and chewy, you want to under-bake it just a bit. Since ovens around the world can vary, I like to check my bakes early to make sure my brownies (and cookies, cakes, etc) don’t get over-baked. 

Some of the Ingredients You’ll Need + Substitutions

  • Chocolate chips are necessary for the perfect crackly top. Plus, you’ll want chocolate chips to sprinkle on top before baking.
  • Olive oil is used in place of butter in this recipe. Feel free to use your favorite vegetable oil, butter, or melted coconut oil instead.
  • Instant coffee deepens the chocolate flavor of the brownie. It’s totally optional, but I highly recommend it! You can use espresso powder instead.
  • Eggs act as a binder for the brownie. If you’re looking for a vegan replacement, I recommend checking out my Vegan Classic Brownies recipe instead.
  • Granulated sugar is necessary for the brownie – feel free to use white, brown, raw, or coconut sugar.
  • Dutched cocoa has a deeper flavor and color than regular cocoa powder. If you don’t have any on hand, regular cocoa will work just fine – your brownie will just be lighter in color.
  • All-purpose flour bulks up the brownie batter. I like to use an unbleached variety. I haven’t tested this recipe with any GF flours.
  • Natural peanut butter (the kind made with just peanuts) is the best peanut butter for this recipe. It’s runny and easy to swirl into the brownie batter.

More Brownie Recipes

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Cookies

Brownie Fruit Pizza

Classic Weeknight Brownies

Grain-Free Tahini Swirl Brownies

Yield: 8-10 Servings

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Pizza

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Pizza

A chocolatey Peanut Butter Swirl Brownie Pizza with swirls of natural peanut butter, chocolate chips, and a chewy brownie base. This easy recipe will delight any brownie lover!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup + 1/4 cup chocolate chips, divided
  • 1/3 cup olive oil (or other oil/melted butter of choice)
  • 1 tsp instant coffee
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (raw, coconut, white, or brown)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter, room temp (the runny kind made with just peanuts)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a pizza pan with non-stick spray. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
  2. In a microwaveable bowl, add 1 cup of the chocolate chips, olive oil, and instant coffee. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring well between each interval, until chocolate is melted; set aside.
  3. In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the eggs and then the sugar. Whisk on medium-high until mixture is thick and light in color. Whisk in the vanilla. Gently fold in the melted chocolate mixture until well combined.
  4. Sift in the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix until no flour pockets remain. Pour batter into your greased pizza pan.
  5. Drop spoonfuls of runny peanut butter randomly over the brownie batter. Use a chopstick, knife, or similar tool to swirl the peanut butter into the batter. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.
  6. Bake at 350°F for 9-11 minutes. Allow brownie to cool completely before slicing, or dig in while it's warm!
  7. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.
© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Brownies

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Peppermint Brownie Sandwich Cookies (dairy-free)

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Mini Brownie Cookies sandwiched together with a cool peppermint frosting. These fudgy and festive cookies are rolled in crushed candy cane for extra minty flavor and that delicious candy crunch!

Peppermint Brownie Sandwich Cookies

It’s official. You all love brownie cookies…and brownie sandwich cookies. Two of my most popular recipes here on the blog are brownie cookies! I don’t blame you. There’s something exciting about a cookie made with brownie batter. A brownie in cookie form? Yes, please!

These Peppermint Brownie Sandwich Cookies are just like my other well-loved brownie cookie recipe, except I swapped the peanut butter frosting for a simple peppermint buttercream (a rendition I was hoping some of you would try when I first posted them to Instagram!). These cookies are everything you want in a holiday cookie: indulgent, tantalizing, and familiar (who doesn’t love a chocolate + peppermint combo in December?). Bake these up this week – or really, any week this Winter – and take them to whatever small gathering you’ll be at. I promise you that whoever you’re with will be delighted by these cookies!

Some of the Ingredients + Substitutes:

  • Chocolate chips work wonders in my brownie recipes – they produce the best, crackly top (for my recipes!). So of course I use them for these cookies. I haven’t tried these cookies with baking chocolate or chocolate bars, but I know that only chocolate chips work in the original brownie recipe I based these cookies off of. In other words, just use the chocolate chips 😉
  • Olive oil is the go-to oil in our house. If you prefer something more neutral, avocado oil would be a great substitute. Vegetable oil or light olive oil will work as well.
  • Eggs whip up to add height to these cookies. As of now, I don’t have any egg replacers for you – sorry! 🙁
  • Sugar helps create that classic crackly brownie top. I like to use unrefined cane sugar to help balance the richness of the Dutched cocoa powder. You can use coconut sugar (which tastes less sweet) or regular white granulated sugar.
  • Dutch-process cocoa powder is richer in flavor and darker in color than regular, natural cocoa powder. You can use regular cocoa powder if it’s all you have on hand, but your cookies won’t be as rich or chocolatey.
  • Peppermint extract is added to the frosting to get that perfect (and light) minty flavor. Two things to note: do NOT use mint extract, and if you’d like your cookies to be even more pepperminty, you can use it in place of the vanilla extract in the cookies.
  • Plant-based butter and milk are what I use in the frosting since they’re dairy-free. Feel free to use regular butter and whatever milk you’d like!
  • Powdered sugar is necessary for the frosting. Don’t even try to make this a healthy cookie. Real talk. Just use the powdered sugar and enjoy your cookies!
Yield: ~18 Sandwich Cookies

Peppermint Brownie Sandwich Cookies

Peppermint Brownie Sandwich Cookies

Mini brownie cookies sandwiched together with a cool peppermint frosting! These fudgy gems are rolled in crushed candy cane for a delicious, festive crunch - perfect for the holidays!

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

Brownie Cookies

  • 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 3/4 cup granulated cane sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla (or peppermint) extract
  • 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (like Hershey's Special Dark)
  • 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Peppermint Frosting

  • 1/4 cup plant-based butter, softened
  • 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3-4 tsp plant-based milk
  • 3 candy canes, crushed (for rolling)

Instructions

Make the Cookies

  1. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and olive oil. Heat in 15 second intervals, stirring each time, until chips are melted and smooth; set aside.
  2. In a stand (or hand) mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the eggs and sugar. Whisk on medium-high until thick, fluffy, and light in color, about 3-5 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Add the melted chocolate mixture and gently mix with a large spoon until everything is combined.
  3. Sift in the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix with a large spoon until totally combined - your dough will be very sticky, like a thick brownie batter.
  4. Allow the dough to sit, uncovered, at room temperature for 30 minutes. This allows the batter to stiffen up enough for you to scoop and roll the dough balls.
  5. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop cookies, 12 at a time, 1 Tbsp in size (.6oz) onto one of the baking sheets. Roll each dough ball smooth and evenly space them on the baking sheet.
  6. Bake the cookies at 350°F for 5-6 minutes or until the centers no longer look wet. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack.
  7. While the cookies bake, prepare the next batch of dough balls on the second baking sheet. Continue until all cookies are baked, being sure to only use a cooled baking sheet each time.


Make the Frosting + Assemble

  1. In a medium bowl, beat together the butter and peppermint extract. Beat in the powdered sugar. Finally, beat in the milk 1 tsp at a time until the frosting comes together. You want it to be smooth enough to pipe but thick enough to hold its shape.
  2. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your favorite tip (I used a Wilton 1A tip). Assemble the cookies by piping an even layer of frosting onto one cookie and then sandwiching it with another.
  3. Immediately roll the edge of the cookie in crushed candy cane. Continue until all cookies are sandwiched.
  4. Store cookies on their side (like how macarons are stored) in an airtight container at room temperature.
© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Cookies

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Vegan Blondies with Salted Caramel

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Soft and sweet Vegan Blondie Bars drizzled with a luscious Vegan Salted Caramel sauce! Top these sugary bars with a sprinkling of flakey sea salt for extra oomph!

Vegan Blondie Bars with Salted Caramel

When I set out to make a vegan version of my blondie bars, I knew I needed to find an egg replacer that would perfectly bind the ingredients together while also giving us that chewy blondie texture without any extra grit. So I looked to my vegan brownie recipe, and I reached for the corn starch. Friends, corn starch is such an excellent egg replacer in this recipe! It binds the ingredients, lends an extra chewy texture to these bars, and, most importantly, goes undetected. In other words, these vegan blondies are just as good as any other blondie bar!

Some of the Ingredients You’ll Need + Substitutions:

Plant-based butter adds that buttery flavor we all know and love. Because we’re after this exact flavor, I don’t recommend any substitutes.

Brown sugar brings that traditional butterscotch flavor to these bars. You can use either light or dark brown sugar.

Coconut sugar is my go-to low glycemic index sweetener. It tastes less sweet than cane sugar and it’s better for you! You can use more brown sugar in its place, but that will make these bars very sweet tasting.

Corn starch mixes with water to bind these bars together. The official egg replacer in this recipe, the starch is totally necessary. You can use arrowroot starch in its place.

White granulated sugar is used to make the caramel sauce. Using a white, refined sugar helps you gauge when the caramel is done as it’s colorless until it’s ready. You can use raw sugar, but you’ll need to keep an extra eye on the boiling caramel to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Coconut cream gives the caramel creaminess and thickness. For this recipe, you want to us only the thick, scoop-able cream that sits at the top of the can. I recommend buying a can of coconut cream that contains only coconut and water. I’ve found that the creams with fillers can keep the cream from solidifying, which we don’t want for this recipe as we need the solid cream.

Yield: 9 or 16 Bars

Vegan Blondies with Salted Caramel

Vegan Blondies with Salted Caramel

Soft and sweet vegan blondie bars drizzled with a luscious vegan salted caramel sauce! Top these sugary bars with a sprinkling of flakey sea salt for extra salty-sweet oomph!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Additional Time 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

Blondie Bars

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) plant-based butter
  • 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/4 cup corn starch
  • 2 Tbsp warm water
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Flakey sea salt to sprinkle

Vegan Salted Caramel

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup room temp or warm water
  • 1/2 cup thick coconut cream (the thick cream from a can of coconut cream)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Make the Caramel

  1. In a small bowl, combine the coconut cream and vanilla extract; set aside. Prepare a work space next to your stove with a wooden spoon and folded towel or hot pad holder.
  2. In a medium, heavy bottom saucepan, add the granulated sugar and then the water, dispersing the water over the sugar. Very lightly swirl the pan, if need be, to soak all the sugar in the water. Place on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, without stirring or touching the mixture, and cook until sugar is amber in color - this can take up to 15-20 minutes but it will burn very quickly once color starts to form.
  3. Immediately remove the sugar from the heat and place on your towel. Slowly add the thick coconut cream and vanilla and gently stir with a wooden spoon. The mixture will bubble up and be very hot, so be careful! Gently stir the caramel until it stops bubbling.
  4. Place the caramel/saucepan back on the heat and bring mixture to a boil. Use a candy thermometer to measure the temperature. Boil just until mixture reaches 240°F-245°F (soft-ball stage). Remove from heat and stir in the salt. Pour caramel into a heat-proof bowl to cool. While it cools, make your blondies.

Make the Blondies

  1. Preheat your oven to 325°F and prepare an 8x8 baking dish. Spray your dish with non-stick spray and then line with parchment paper. I like to cut one long strip to cover the bottom and two sides, and then I fold the excess over the sides and trim them - that way I can use them as handles later when I pull the blondies out to slice.
  2. Melt your butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring it to a boil and then immediately remove from the heat. In a medium bowl, add the butter, brown sugar, and coconut sugar and mix; set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, mix together the warm water and corn starch until totally combined. Add this to your butter/sugar mixture and stir. Mix in the vanilla extract.
  4. Add the baking powder and salt and stir. Then add the flour, mixing until well combined and no flour streaks remain. Scrape the batter (it will be thick) into your prepared baking dish, smoothing it evenly across your dish.
  5. Bake at 325°F for 15-20 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Allow to cool completely. Run a butter knife around the edges and use the parchment paper overhang to pull the entire blondie up and out of the dish. Use a sharp knife to slice into 12 or 16 bars.
  6. Drizzle cooled caramel sauce over the cooled blondie bars and immediately sprinkle with flakey sea salt! Store any leftovers in a single layer in an airtight container (do not stack the bars!).

Notes

  • Bringing the caramel sauce to "soft-ball stage" is necessary as it makes sure the caramel is thick enough to stay on top on your blondies
  • Allow the caramel to cool completely before transferring to a lidded jar. You can store leftover caramel in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, reheating as necessary to drizzle on whatever you like (it will thicken in the refrigerator)

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Bars

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