Chocolate Chunk Blondies

These Chocolate Chunk Blondies are a crowd-pleaser! I've made them for my coworkers several times and they are always a big hit at the office, and super easy to whip up on a week night! They are thick, dense, chewy, rich, salty and sweet! I always make a batch with walnuts and without, the ones without nuts are always the first to go, which always seemed odd to me, I always prefer my cookies and brownies without nuts, but I thought that was just me....guess not! They are also so good right out of the oven with a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, yum!

Chocolate Chunk Blondies

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten

Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 oz. milk chocolate chips
• 1½ cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8x12x12 inch baking pan.
2. Cream your butter are both sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add in the vanilla and then the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between.
4. In a small bowl sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly stir in your dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture and then beat with the mixer until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
5. Spread the batter into your prepared pan and bake for exactly 30 minutes, do not overbake!
6. Cool in the pan on a wire rack then cut into bars, enjoy!

Summer Fruit Parfait with Brown Butter Shortbread

I found this recipe from one of my favorite food blogs, How Sweet It Is, and fell in love! This fruit parfait is the perfect Summer recipe for a light breakfast or dessert. The tart berries mixed with the sweet sauce, the crunchy buttery shortbread and the creamy light coconut cream is a flawless combination. My favorite part is the shortbread, browning the butter gives it a huge burst of flavor, I loved the cookie and am planning on using it as a base for several other desserts. You have to try this one out!

Summer Fruit Parfait with Brown Butter Shortbread

Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is

Makes: 4 servings
Printable Version

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1½ cup flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup sugar + 3 tablespoons
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 pints strawberries
• 1 package blackberries
• 1 package raspberries
• 3 peaches, cubed
• 2 cans coconut milk (whole fat)

Instructions:

1. Brown your butter in a saucepan and then transfer to a bowl and let come to room temperature and become a soft solid again (I did mine the night before).
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
3. For the shortbread, mix the butter and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time and then add the vanilla bean paste. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
4. Roll out the dough to ½ inch thick and use a biscuit cutter to cut the shortbread rounds. Transfer to a baking sheet and cook for 10-12 minutes. Once cooked let them cool on a wire rack and then crumble into a bowl.
5. For the berry sauce, combine half the strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, 3 tablespoons sugar and vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 5-8 minutes until bubbly. Use a wooden spoon to break up the berries. Strain mixture. 
6. For the coconut whipped cream, refrigerate the cans overnight. In the morning turn them upside down and scoop out the cream, beat on high for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. 
7. To assemble the parfaits start with some coconut cream on the bottom, then add the berries and peaches, next goes the berry sauce and finished with the crumbled shortbread. Continue to layer each of these until you reach your desired size and enjoy!