SWEETS FOR MY SWEETS

BACK TO BAKING

This was the first "blondie" recipe I have tried and wow are they delicious! I blame my baking addiction on my Mom and her family...they are amazing cooks & bakers. If they only realized how talented they were, we would probably all be wealthy (and fat) from the Bales Bakery!!


CHOCOLATE CHIP BLONDIES
photo & recipe via Taste & Tell

Makes 16

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking pan with a piece of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter paper. (I put them directly in a buttered dish.)

In a large bowl, whisk butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Fold in ½ cup of the chocolate chips. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.

Bake until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack, and let cool completely. Using parchment overhang, lift cake from pan and transfer to a cutting board; cut in 16 squares. Store blondies in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.

SOPHIE...OUR LOVELY SURPRISE

Our Sophie is 11-weeks-old now! Smiling, jabbering, laughing in her sleep, and eating a lot! Drew adores her to say the least. He's always kissing her and acting silly to get a smile (which he always does). What amazing kiddos we have....so, so lucky.

JALAPENO POPPER SPREAD

Back to recipes! Well we just celebrated Danny's 40th birthday...yowza...and this recipe was the hit of the party, so I thought I would share it.

JALAPENO POPPER SPREAD
photo & recipe via allrecipes.com

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
2 ounces canned diced jalapeno peppers, drained (use more if you want it hotter)
1 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Stir together cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in green chilies and jalapeno peppers. Pour mixture into a microwave safe serving dish, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Microwave on high about 3 minutes.

Variation: If you would like to brown the cheese, bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. *I put mine in the oven until the cheese had melted and was slightly brown (about 10-15 minutes).