Quick, easy, melt-in-your mouth blondies, cookie bars, whatever you want to call them are never a bad thing. Right? It’s like chocolate chip cookie bliss (my absolute favorite treat in the world) paired with brownie-esque gooey perfection.
But then, enter these Candy Craze Blondies and you have double trouble. The same irrisitable blondie fabulous-ness but with some decadent chocolate candy additions folded in. These are good. A little sinful. But good.
With Halloween approaching, and parents trying to think of special and creative ways to still make it a spooky and festive holiday this year, (from home,) and without the usual beloved trick-or-treating. I think it’s safe to say fun treats like these are going to be needed.
On one hand, while we won’t be needing to inspect treat bags and try to find ways to donate or use up some of the usual loot, perhaps a little candy, especially some of the classics, won’t hurt. So that’s exactly what I’ve included in these. We’ve got M&M’s, some Reese’s Pieces, Snickers and Twix. You can use whatever you like or have around. These happen to be my our favs. Some cool Halloween sprinkles are fun too. (Emphasis on the word fun with today’s recipe.)
And, besides the deliciousness, one of my favorite things about blondies is how much of a cinch they are to make. One bowl. No mixer. Just stir. Pour it in the pan. And bake. Now how easy is that? See, this is thanks to the melted butter, as opposed to the usual creaming method for cookies. But the short-cut here is what lends, and is absolutely crucial, to the texture of these bars. Blondies always = melting the butter. (You can consider brownies in the same camp.)
Ok, so we’ve covered how good these are, how they’ll amp up your October Pandemic Halloween game, and how they’re too easy to have any excuse not to try. Which I really hope you will, and I definitely won’t judge if you happen to make and enjoy share a few test batches before the 31st.
Happy October baking, friends!
Oh and P.S.- stay tuned, I have a few other new tricked out treats up my sleeve that I think will do just the thing to make this year as deliciously spooky as any other…. if not more. Muahahahahaha! (sorry, had to)
Candy Craze Blondies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (284g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 3/4 cups (350g) light brown sugar ( a combo of dark brown and light brown sugar is great too)
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsps pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups (384g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsps baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups chocolate candies, bigger pieces chopped if needed)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350F/ 177C. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with baking spray and line it with parchment paper going up the sides for easier removal.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugars and salt until blended. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until just combined.
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Switch to a spatula, and add the flour, baking powder and baking soda and fold it all together until almost fully combined. Then add the candy pieces and continue folding until combined, but do not over-mix.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. (You can add a few more candy pieces to decorate the top if desired.) Bake for about 25 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out almost clean. (Slightly under bake for gooey brownie-like bars or a little longer for cake-like bars.)
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Set the pan on a wire rack to cool. Then cut into squares and serve.
Recipe Notes
*Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days, in the refrigerator a week or frozen for up to three months.
