Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Nutella Cookie Crusted Peanut Butter Blondies


Nutella Cookie Crusted Peanut Butter Blondies



Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe that I spent the first 19 or so years of my life without Nutella. Growing up, I remember seeing the commercials advertising Nutella as a “healthy breakfast”. Though I now know these claims are incredibly dubious, I was always intrigued. A chocolate spread for breakfast seemed right up my alley, though any food that could be described as “healthy” was not my usual style. I was in college when I first tried Nutella, and it was truly love at first bite.

For as long as I can remember, I have been a huge fan of peanut butter. It very much had a place in my life for all of those years before Nutella won over my heart. According to the National Peanut Board, the average child will eat 1500 peanut butter sandwiches before they graduate high school. Given that I brought a peanut butter sandwich for lunch almost every single day from kindergarten to high school graduation, and did not slow my consumption during the summer, I am sure that I had way more.

Lucky for me, I do not have to choose between my two favorite spreads. They taste great together. And though I do a lot of baking with one or the other, I have not made many things using both. This really is a shame, and it will surely change soon, because these sweet and salty peanut butter blondies with a Nutella cookie crust are absolutely delightful! I recommend you give these a try, here’s how:



1. Begin by greasing a 9 inch square pan and preheating the oven to 350. 

2. Make the dough for the Nutella cookie crust

Nutella cookie crust

½ stick of butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar (1/4 cup sugar + 1 tbsp honey/syrup)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup Nutella 


1 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

3. Mix wet ingredients and sugar, and then gradually add dry ingredients. (mixing ingredients in the order listed will work)
4. Spread dough in the bottom of the pan, as pictured below. 




5. Begin making the blondie batter.

Peanut butter blondies

3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tbsp oil
1 large egg
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
¼ cup sugar

2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 ½ tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

6. Again, mix wet ingredients and sugar, and then gradually add dry ingredients, as in the order listed.
7. Pour batter in the pan, over the cookie dough. (batter will be thick) 


8. Bake for 30 minutes, or until edges brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry.


Just pretend Nutella is healthy, and when in doubt, bake!

<3 Dena

1 comment:

  1. What a fun idea, I'll have to try making these!

    ReplyDelete