In developing my recipe for this week’s Berkshire Eagle column, I made several batches of blondies with several types of peanut butter, and another batch with sunflower seed butter, and I am sure it would work with any number of other nut butters!

GO NUTS! OR NOT!

by Elizabeth Baer

My sister and I often exchange food or cooking related gifts; my brother and I always exchange food or cooking related gifts; my sister and my brother have never exchanged any gift at all. I feel like this is one of those riddles, “I am my mother’s aunt. How is this possible?” It’s a simple answer, really. My sister and I are adopted, and only a little more than a decade ago I first came in contact with my biological family (who, incidentally, live on the West Coast). I have only met my brother in person twice, and my sister and my brother have never met. Or I suppose this could be a nature or nurture question, but being a foodie is hardly the stuff of researchers’ data.

In any event, for my birthday this year, my brother sent me a gift pack of fancy peanut butters from a small family company he found online. Each of the three flavors included things like pretzel pieces, chocolate, or dried fruit, and are meant to be eaten as a snack with a spoon. So I did, and they were delicious! But then, tasked with making a dessert for a potluck, I thought I would try making blondies using peanut butter from one of the jars my brother gave me. They were a hit, and so I made another batch, another hit, and I thought, “This is column-worthy!”

However, as delicious as this fancy peanut butter is, I didn’t want to send anyone off ordering such a specific product. (Should you be interested, it’s called B.Happy.) So I set off on the task of making it with the ordinary off-the-shelf peanut butter I had in the pantry. And then my husband suggested I should try it with sunflower seed butter as an option for people who are allergic to peanuts. (Who am I kidding? He just wanted plenty of treats in the house!)

My son and his girlfriend happened to stop by just after I made these two batches, and I told them they had the task of taste-testing them. I got the thumbs-up for both versions, and thus sat down to write this column!

NUT BUTTER BLONDIES

Makes 9-16, depending on preference for serving piece size

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup peanut butter or other nut butter or sunflower seed butter
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½-¾ cup chocolate chips or other chips, such as butterscotch

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang on two sides of the pan. Use cooking spray lightly on the other two sides, or use cooking spray over all, if preferred.

In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a bowl with a hand mixer, combine the softened butter and the nut butter on medium speed until fully mixed and smooth. Add both sugars and mix again on medium speed until fluffy, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as needed.

Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until well combined, continuing to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined. If not fully combined, the last bits of flour will get incorporate with the next step.

Add the chocolate or other chips and fold in, making sure that any dry ingredients get fully incorporated.

Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and spread out in an even layer. The batter is thick and sticky, and an offset spatula works well here if you have one.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the center is firm but not hard. Cool in the pan before removing and cutting into individual pieces.

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