You’re probably thinking – ugh, another apple recipe.  It doesn’t help that I’m also really late to the game in posting this.  If your autumn is anything like a typical autumn in Vermont you’ve already been wading through piles of apple everything, seriously; apple pies, sauces, donuts, cakes, breads, drinks, salads, stuffings, candies, dressings, and roasts are just the tip of the apple iceberg.  I’ve made hundreds, I mean hundreds, of these Apple Blondies over the past couple of months.  As it happens, I have actually hit upon a recipe that will *shocked gasp* outshine it’s classic chocolate counterpart.  Even the staunchest of chocolate lovers have been converted by the buttery sweet goodness of these Apple Blondies.  Even if you’re, understandably, appled-out, give this recipe a try, you won’t regret it, and it will put a satisfactory end to the zillions of disappointing apple recipes you feel obligated to test out every apple season.

Recipe makes a 9×13 pan of blondies.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Butter
• 2 cups Brown Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/4 cup Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 cup diced Apples

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (~177C).
2. Line a 9×13 baking pan with aluminum foil and grease well.
3. In a sauce pan combine the butter and brown sugar, and place over moderate heat.
4. Melt the butter and the brown sugar together until smooth to create your butterscotch.
5. Stir in the vanilla and salt.
6. Remove the pan from the heat, and transfer the mixture into a mixing bowl.  Allow the butterscotch to cool slightly.  5 – 10 minutes is a good cooling window.  You want it cool enough to not scramble your eggs but warm enough that it hasn’t begun to solidify or turn grainy.
7. Meanwhile, sift together the flour, cinnamon, and baking powder.
8. Once the butterscotch has cooled enough, beat in the eggs.  Do this while continuing to vigorously mix so that the eggs don’t stay in a single spot and begin to cook.
9. Add in the flour.  Mix until fully incorporated.
10. Fold in the apples.
11. Pour your batter into the greased pan.
12. Bake for 25-30 minutes.