Bready or Not: Maple Truffle Blondies
I figure people had better things to do than read a new recipe on New Year's Day, so here's this week's Bready or Not!
Do your taste buds ever get stuck on a craving? Mine sure do. This winter past six months has been all about maple for me. Since discovering the wonders of maple creme sandwich cookies, I've been plotting ways to adapt Oreo-based baked goodies to host maple instead.
Like this.
This is a take on Oreo Truffle Brownies, which has become a big favorite here. I had to search for a maple blondie base and found one at Baked Bree. In all honesty, these blondies are awesome all by themselves. The flavor is just fantastic. If you like maple but don't want something that is too sweet, just do the blondies.
But if you want to go all out, then let me show you.
Start the year with sweetness, and it will stay sweet all year long, right?
Maple Truffle Blondies
Maple blondie recipe from Baked Bree
Combination original to Bready or Not.
Ingredients for maple blondies:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
10 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecan pieces (or substitute another nut, or omit)
Ingredients for truffle layer:
1 box of maple creme cookies
8 ounces cream cheese
Ingredients for glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tb butter, melted
3/4 tsp maple flavoring (vanilla will do in a pinch)
2+ Tb milk (almond milk works!)
Directions:
1) Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
2) Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
3) In a mixing bowl, blend the butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Add the eggs and vanilla. Pour in the flour mix until just combined, then stir in the pecans.
4) Spread batter in the pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5) Let the blondie layer cool completely. Place in fridge for a while, if necessary.
After a few hours...
6) Finely crush cookies in a food processor or by putting them in a sealed bag and smashing them with a rolling pin until finely ground. [Reserve 1/4 cup of crumbs for topping.] With the bulk of the crushed maple cookies, use your hands or a big spoon to mash softened cream cheese and crumbs until well combined.
7) Smooth the cookie-cream cheese over the blondie layer. Make it as even as possible.
8) Combine all of the glaze ingredients in a bowl. Add enough milk so that the icing is spreadable but not runny. Immediately dollop over the cream cheese layer and smooth it out. It's okay if some crumbs stick out--this is a reason to reserve some cookie crumbs for the top. Completely cover with the icing, then immediately sprinkle on the reserved crumbs. Use fingers to gently press in.
9) Place pan in fridge to set for hour or two before slicing. Store in fridge.
OM NOM NOM.
Do your taste buds ever get stuck on a craving? Mine sure do. This winter past six months has been all about maple for me. Since discovering the wonders of maple creme sandwich cookies, I've been plotting ways to adapt Oreo-based baked goodies to host maple instead.
Like this.
This is a take on Oreo Truffle Brownies, which has become a big favorite here. I had to search for a maple blondie base and found one at Baked Bree. In all honesty, these blondies are awesome all by themselves. The flavor is just fantastic. If you like maple but don't want something that is too sweet, just do the blondies.
But if you want to go all out, then let me show you.
Start the year with sweetness, and it will stay sweet all year long, right?
Maple Truffle Blondies
Maple blondie recipe from Baked Bree
Combination original to Bready or Not.
Ingredients for maple blondies:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
10 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecan pieces (or substitute another nut, or omit)
Ingredients for truffle layer:
1 box of maple creme cookies
8 ounces cream cheese
Ingredients for glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tb butter, melted
3/4 tsp maple flavoring (vanilla will do in a pinch)
2+ Tb milk (almond milk works!)
Directions:
1) Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
2) Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
3) In a mixing bowl, blend the butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Add the eggs and vanilla. Pour in the flour mix until just combined, then stir in the pecans.
4) Spread batter in the pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5) Let the blondie layer cool completely. Place in fridge for a while, if necessary.
After a few hours...
6) Finely crush cookies in a food processor or by putting them in a sealed bag and smashing them with a rolling pin until finely ground. [Reserve 1/4 cup of crumbs for topping.] With the bulk of the crushed maple cookies, use your hands or a big spoon to mash softened cream cheese and crumbs until well combined.
7) Smooth the cookie-cream cheese over the blondie layer. Make it as even as possible.
8) Combine all of the glaze ingredients in a bowl. Add enough milk so that the icing is spreadable but not runny. Immediately dollop over the cream cheese layer and smooth it out. It's okay if some crumbs stick out--this is a reason to reserve some cookie crumbs for the top. Completely cover with the icing, then immediately sprinkle on the reserved crumbs. Use fingers to gently press in.
9) Place pan in fridge to set for hour or two before slicing. Store in fridge.
OM NOM NOM.