Butterscotch Pudding with Streusel Crumble & Pecans

Wow. We just loved this! The pudding was fabulously creamy and a little bit salty. The sweet streusel crumble and toasted pecan toppings complemented it perfectly.

This recipe was adapted from The Vanilla Bean Baking Book: Recipes for Irresistible Everyday Favorites and Reinvented Classics by Sarah Kieffer. I weighed the ingredients, when possible, omitted the rum or bourbon in the pudding, and modified the method.

Yield: Serves 8

For the Butterscotch Pudding:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup (99 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (99 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup (28 g) cornstarch
• 8 T (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 T pure vanilla extract
• 1 T blackstrap rum or bourbon, optional (I omitted it)

For the Streusel Crumble: (Makes 1 cup)

• 48 g (1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
• 33 g (2 1/2 T) granulated sugar
• 33 g (2 1/2 T packed) light brown sugar
• 25 g (1/4 cup) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 T (43 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 3 pieces

To Serve:

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup (27 to 57 g) whole pecans, toasted and chopped into small pieces

To Make the Butterscotch Pudding:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the granulated and brown sugars, salt, and egg yolks on low until combined.
2. Increase the heat to medium-high and beat until very thick, about 5 minutes.
3. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the cornstarch. Mix on low until combined.
4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk and heavy cream until just simmering. Remove from the heat and transfer to a medium liquid measuring cup with a pourable spout.
5. With the mixer running on low, slowly pour the hot milk-cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Beat until incorporated.
6. Transfer the mixture to a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly, until the mixture becomes thick and begins to boil, 3 to 4 minutes.
7. Whisk for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture becomes the consistency of pudding and is glossy.
8. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla, and rum, if using. Mix until the butter is completely melted.
9. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl.
10. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap sits directly on top of the pudding (this will help keep it from forming a skin).
11. Place the bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator until well chilled, at least 4 hours. While the pudding chills, make the streusel crumble.

To Make the Streusel Crumble:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed quarter sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, sugars, oats, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Add the butter and incorporate using a pastry blender until the mixture comes together but is still quite crumbly.
4. Place the streusel on the prepared baking sheet in an even layer; press into the pan.
5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely.
6. To serve, crumble into chunky pieces.

To Serve:

1. Divide the pudding between 8 ramekins and top with toasted pecans and streusel.
2. Pass additional streusel at the table, if desired.

Coffee Blondies

When an amazing baker like Sarah Kieffer says that she’s been making these blondies for almost two decades, I had to try them. Right? They did not disappoint.

The recipe was adapted from The Vanilla Bean Baking Book: Recipes for Irresistible Everyday Favorites and Reinvented Classics by Sarah Kieffer of The Vanilla Bean Blog. I used espresso, fine sea salt, and dark chocolate chips. We ate them with and without (caramel) ice cream. 🙂

Yield: one 9×13-inch pan of blondies (about 12 large or 24 small)

• 213 g (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 12 T (1 1/2 sticks; 170 g) unsalted butter, cold
• 297 g (1 1/2 cups) light brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 T strong coffee, room temperature (I used espresso)
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 T pure vanilla extract
• 86 g (3/4 cup) pecan halves, toasted and chopped
• 128 g (3/4 cup) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (I used 72% dark chocolate chips)

1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, preferably on convection.
2. Grease a 9×13-inch metal baking pan with cooking oil spray. Line the pan with parchment paper leaving an overhang on 2 sides. (I clip the overhang with binder clips to keep it in place.)
3. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let cool and then chop; set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder.
5. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, brown sugar, and salt.
6. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the coffee until well combined. Let the mixture come to room temperature. (I transferred it to a large bowl to expedite the process at this point.)
7. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk to combine. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl (if you haven’t already).
8. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
9. Add the pecans and chocolate chips and stir gently until incorporated.
10. Using an offset spatula, spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
11. Bake 18 to 24 minutes, until the blondies are set on the edges and the top is golden brown and just beginning to form cracks. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with just a couple of crumbs.
12. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Use the parchment sling to gently lift the blondies from the pan. Cut into squares.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Brown Butter Buttercream

Sarah Kieffer is an absolute GENIUS. Incorporating brown butter in buttercream!?!? I’m upset that I have never thought of trying it.

These were quite possibly the best cupcakes I’ve ever made. The cake portion was delicious- moist and tender, but the icing really put the cupcakes over the top. It was incredibly light and flavorful. I may have to make them again for Valentine’s Day. ❤

The recipe was adapted from The Vanilla Bean Baking Book: Recipes for Irresistible Everyday Favorites and Reinvented Classics by Sarah Kieffer. I halved the recipe and made 12 cupcakes. (I now regret not making 24!) I also used fine sea salt. Amazing.

Yield: 12 frosted cupcakes (with about 2 cups buttercream)

For the Cupcakes:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 T pure vanilla extract
• 6 T sour cream
• 2 T buttermilk
• 1 cup (142g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (149g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 pound (1 stick, 114g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces

Note: If doubling the recipe for 24 cupcakes or 2 8-inch round cakes, use 3 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks, 297g sugar, and 227g butter.

For the Brown Butter Buttercream:

• 1/4 pound (1 stick, 114g) unsalted butter for browning
• 1/4 pound (1 stick, 114g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 oz (27g) cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 T heavy cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 cups (226g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

To Make the Cupcakes:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Line a standard cupcake/muffin pan with 12 liners. Set aside. (If making a round cake, butter and flour the pans and then line them with parchment paper.)
3. In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, sour cream, and buttermilk.
4. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low until combined.
5. With the mixer running on low, add the butter one piece at a time, beating until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
6. With the mixer still running on low, slowly add half the wet ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
7. With the mixer running on low, add the rest of the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
8. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 20 seconds. (The batter may still look a little bumpy.)
9. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and use a spatula to mix the batter a few more times.
10. Using a large cookie scoop (mine is 3T), divide the batter between the cupcake wells. Each well should be a little more than halfway full.
11. Using an offset spatula, smooth the tops. Tap the pan gently on the counter 2 times to help get rid of any bubbles.
12. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (I baked mine for 17 minutes on convection.) (If baking cake in an 8-inch pan, bake for 17 to 22 minutes.)
13. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. (If using a round cake pan, let cake cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then, remove to let cool completely.)

To Make the Brown Butter Buttercream:

1. Have a small, heatproof, freezer-safe bowl set next to the range.
2. Melt one stick of butter in a light-colored, heavy bottomed skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. Swirl the butter around with a rubber spatula as it melts and starts to bubble.
3. When it starts bubbling, increase the heat to medium and keep stirring the butter until it boils and begins to foam, about 3 minutes. It will smell nutty and you’ll start to see little brown bits on the bottom of the pan. *Keep stirring, making sure to gently scrape the bottom of the pan with the spatula as you do so. At this point, the butter will begin to quickly change from light brown to dark to burned, so keep a close eye on the pan.*
4. Once the butter and browned bits are golden brown, remove from the heat, and immediately pour the brown butter and the toasted bits and flecks from the bottom of the pan into the reserved heatproof, freezer-safe bowl.
5. Let the brown butter cool in the bowl for 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature. Then, place the bowl in the freezer and let chill until solid, about 30 minutes.
6. When the butter is solid (but not frozen!), transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle.
7. Add the remaining 1/4 pound (1 stick) of room temperature butter to the brown butter in the mixer bowl and beat on medium until smooth.
8. Add the cream cheese and beat on medium until smooth and creamy.
9. Add the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt and mix on low to combine.
10. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until combined. (I turn the mixer off in between additions of sugar.)
11. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary, 6 to 8 minutes.
12. Using a cookie scoop (I used a 3 T scoop), place a heaping dollop of buttercream on top of each cupcake. (Alternatively, use an offset spatula to ration the icing.) Spread the buttercream over the top decoratively, as desired.

Note: Frosted cupcakes should be refrigerated if not serving right away. Bring to room temperature prior to serving.

Danish Pear-Apple Bars

My husband isn’t partial to summer fruit- with the exception of freshly picked strawberries. He loves bananas, Bartlett pears, and cantaloupe. 🙂 Before the summer berry and peach baking season, I made these pie bars to embrace sweet and juicy Bartlett pears.

The bars have a Danish-style pie crust which very tender because it incorporates milk and egg yolks instead of ice water. It was really delicious. I also loved the cream cheese glaze spread over the top.

This recipe was adapted from 100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen with Classic Cookies, Novel Treats, Brownies, Bars, and More by Sarah Kieffer. I weighed most of the dry ingredients as well as the peeled and cored fruit. I also used fine sea salt and omitted the brandy.

It was a wonderful springtime dessert but it would also be fabulous for Thanksgiving.

For the Crust:

• 1/2 cup (120 g) whole milk, plus 1 or 2 T if needed
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 1/2 cups (355 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 T granulated sugar
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 cup (2 sticks or 227 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 20 pieces

For the Apple-Pear Filling:

• 8 cups (1100 g) Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and sliced 4mm thick (I used 6 organic pears)
• 1 cup (150 g) peeled and grated Gala apples (I used one large Gala apple)
• 1/3 cup (65 g) light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar, plus 2 T for sprinkling
• 3 T cornstarch
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 T unsalted butter, melted
• 1 T brandy (I omitted it)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Egg Wash:

• 1 large egg
• pinch of fine sea salt
• 1 T (15 g) water

For the Cream Cheese Glaze:

• 2 oz (57 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 T whole milk
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• pinch fine sea salt
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups (120 to 145 g) confectioners’ sugar

To Make the Crust:

1. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the milk and egg yolks. Place in the refrigerator.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour, granulated sugar, and salt on low speed until combined.
3. Add half of the chilled butter and mix on low speed until the butter is just starting to break down, about 1 minute.
4. Add the rest of the butter and continue mixing until the butter is broken down in various sizes. (most should be the size of small peas but some pieces may be larger) Make sure that all of the flour is moistened.
5. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the milk-egg mixture, and mix until the dough starts to come together. If the dough is having trouble coming together, add 1 or 2 more tablespoons of milk.
6. Divide the dough in half, place each piece on a separate piece of plastic wrap and flatten each slightly into a square.
7. Cover and refrigerate until cool but still soft, about 45 minutes.
8. On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll one square of the dough into a 9×13-inch rectangle (22×33 cm). (I covered the top with plastic wrap and rolled the dough 1/8-inch thick, using a bench scraper to cut pieces and patch to form the proper shape.)
9. Transfer the dough to a 9×13-inch metal baking pan. Gently pat the dough into the bottom. Place the pan in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
10. Roll out the second square of dough into a 9×13-inch (22 by 33 cm) rectangle using the same method. Place on an inverted sheet pan in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

To Make the Filling:

1. Use a food processor to slice the pears 4mm thick and coarsely grate the apple(s).
2. Combine the sliced pears, grated apple, brown sugar, 1/4 cup (4 T or 50g) granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.
3. In a small liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine the melted butter, brandy (if using), and vanilla. Pour over the pear-apple mixture and toss to combine.

To Make the Egg Wash:

1. Whisk the egg, salt, and water together in a small bowl; set aside.

To Assemble:

1. Fill the prepared pie shell with the pear-apple mixture and smooth the top.
2. Remove the top crust chilling on the inverted sheet pan from the refrigerator. Place the dough over the top of the filling. (It does not need to be sealed to the bottom layer.) Trim any excess with kitchen shears or a sharp knife.
3. Gently cut a few steam vents into the top layer of dough. (I cut 11 vents.)
4. Chill the pie in the pan in the freezer for 20 minutes while the oven preheats.
5. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
6. Place a sheet pan on the oven rack while the oven is preheating. (The preheated sheet pan helps crisp the bottom of the pie crust.)
7. When the pie is ready to bake, brush the top of the pie with the egg wash. Sprinkle the top with the 2 T reserved granulated sugar.
8. Transfer the pie to the preheated sheet pan and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling. (I baked mine for 50 minutes.)
9. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool while you make the icing.

To Make the Cream Cheese Glaze:

1. In a small bowl, use a hand mixer to mix the cream cheese, milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
2. Add 1 cup (120 g) of the confectioners’ sugar and mix again until smooth. If the mixture is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar until the desired consistency is reached.
3. Once the bars are cool, top them with the glaze; spread to the edges.

Note: The pie bars are best eaten the same day they are made but can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Brown Sugar Cookies

One more recipe from Sarah Kieffer’s new cookie book!

These wonderful cookies may have tasted even more spectacular because they looked so simple and unassuming. Wow. The extra teaspoon of molasses may have been the secret ingredient. Like her snickerdoodles, they had a crispy edge and soft center.

The recipe was adapted from 100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen with Classic Cookies, Novel Treats, Brownies, Bars and More by Sarah Kieffer. I chilled the dough prior to baking and modified the cookie size. I also reduced the amount of granulated sugar needed for rolling. Great!

Yield: 30 to 32 cookies

• 364 g (2 1/2 cups plus 1 T) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt (I used fine sea salt)
• 1 cup (2 sticks or 227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 350 g (1 3/4 cups) dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp molasses
• 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 50 g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar, for rolling

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). (I did not use the convection setting.)
2. Line rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute.
5. Add the brown sugar and the molasses and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add the egg, yolk, and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until combined.
7. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.
8. Place the granulated sugar in a small bowl.
9. Using a medium-sized cookie scoop, ration the dough into 30g (1 oz or 1 1/2 T) portions. (At this point, I wrapped the scoops with plastic wrap and chilled them. I baked half after 1 hour and the other half after 24 hours.)
10. Roll each ball in the granulated sugar and place 8 cookies on each sheet pan.
11. Bake one pan at a time, rotating halfway through baking. Bake until the sides are set and the bottoms are light golden brown, 12 to 13 minutes (for the chilled dough).
12. Transfer the sheet pan to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for 5 to 10 minutes on the pan, then remove them and let them cool completely on the wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough.

Note: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Pan-Banging Giant Crinkled Snickerdoodles

I first read about Sarah Kieffer’s famous pan-banging baking method when her Giant Crinkled Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe was published in The New York Times, adapted from The Vanilla Bean Baking Book. During the baking process, the sheet pan is intermittently tapped on the oven rack. The resulting cookies have a “crinkled,” rippled, crisp outer edge and soft center. I love how they look. The added bonus is that they have to be large- giant– in order for the method to be successful.

In Kieffer’s second cookbook, 100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen with Classic Cookies, Novel Treats, Brownies, Bars, and More, she has an entire chapter devoted to pan-banging cookies. I can’t believe that it has taken me this long to bake them! The original chocolate chip cookie recipe has been modified in the new book. I will have to try the chocolate chip cookie version, of course, but I loved the idea of making giant crinkled snickerdoodles.

I did find that the method was only successful with three cookies per sheet pan. It may be be because the dough is closer to the center of the pan but I’m not exactly sure. The pans with four cookies cracked on the edges and spread more than the pans with three cookies. I reduced the amount of cinnamon sugar topping in the recipe below because there was excess.

The original recipe states that it yields twelve cookies, but, after weighing the rationed dough, each batch (sadly) only yielded ten cookies. I immediately made a second batch to share after baking the first ten cookies! We loved them.

Yield: 10 giant cookies

For the Cookie Dough:

• 284g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt (I used fine sea salt)
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup (2 sticks or 227g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 300g (1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Topping:

• 25g (2 T) granulated sugar
• 1/2 T ground cinnamon

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. (The remaining oven racks should be below this middle rack to not interfere with the pan-banging.)
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). (I did not use the convection setting.)
3. Line 3 rimmed sheet pans with aluminum foil, dull-side up.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cream of tartar, and nutmeg.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute.
6. Add the 300g (1 1/2 cups) sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Add the egg and vanilla and mix on low speed to combine.
8. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
9. In a small bowl, combine the 25g (2 T) and ground cinnamon for the topping.
10. Form the dough in to 85 to 86g (3 oz or 1/4 cup) balls. (I initially used the combination of a large and medium cookie scoop, but found it was easier to just weigh chunks of dough.) Place all of the dough balls on a plate until all of it has been rationed.
11. Roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar topping.
12. Place 3 cookies an equal distance apart on the sheet pans. (One will be leftover to bake after a sheet pan has cooled.)
13. Bake the cookies one pan at a time.
14. Bake until the dough balls have flattened but are puffed slightly in the center, 8 minutes.
15. Lift one side of the sheet pan up about 4 inches (10 cm) and gently let it drop down against the oven rack, so the edges of the cookies set and the center falls back down. (I repeated this lifting the other side of the pan as well.)
16. After the cookies puff up again in 2 minutes, repeat lifting and dropping the pan. Repeat a few more times, every 2 minutes, to created ridges around the edge of the cookie. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes total, until the cookies have spread out and the edges are golden brown but the centers are much lighter and not fully cooked. (To keep track, I actually kept a paper to keep track of the timing: 8*2*2*2*1.)
17. Transfer the pan to a wire rack. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Note: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days (or refrigerate for up to 3 days).

Cinnamon Roll Blondies

One of the most dangerous things I’ve ever done is to “join” baking groups on Facebook. The beautiful baked goods that are shared make me feel compelled to bake and to try cookbooks that are raved about.

This recipe is from 100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen with Classic Cookies, Novel Treats, Brownies, Bars, and More by Sarah Kieffer. This book has a major fan base online. I’m only one recipe in and am already a huge fan. 🙂

Baked goods that involve cinnamon-sugar are a crowd-pleaser in my house so selecting cinnamon roll blondies out of this book was an obvious choice. These blondies had the added bonus of incorporating nutty brown butter too. I weighed the ingredients when possible. Fabulous!

Yield: One 9×13-inch pan, about 24 small blondies

For the Brown Butter Blondie Base:

• 2 cups (284g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks or 227g) unsalted butter
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (200g) brown sugar (I used dark brown sugar)
• 1 1/2 T pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp salt (I used coarse salt)
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

• 4 oz (113g) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• pinch salt (I used coarse salt)

For the Cinnamon Sugar Swirl:

• 1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar (I used light brown sugar)
• 2 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
• pinch of salt (I used coarse salt)
• 1 T ground cinnamon

To Make the Brown Butter Blondie Base:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 C).
2. Grease a 9×13-inch (23×33-cm) baking pan and line with a parchment sling. (I used a metal baking pan.)
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
4. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 12 tablespoons (170g) of the butter. Brown the butter until it is dark golden brown and smells nutty, about 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and add the remaining 4 tablespoons (57g) butter to the pot, swirling the pot until the butter stops foaming.
6. Add the granulated and brown sugars, vanilla, and salt, and stir to combine. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
7. Add the eggs and egg yolks and whisk until combined.
8. Transfer the butter-egg mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
9. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and smooth into an even layer. Set aside while you make the toppings.

To Make the Cream Cheese Filling:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt, and mix on medium speed until well combined.

To Make the Cinnamon Sugar Swirl:

1. In a small saucepan or skillet, melt the brown sugar, butter, and salt together over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the cinnamon until combined.

To Assemble:

1. Dollop the cream cheese and cinnamon sugar over the top of the brown butter blondie batter base in the prepared pan, alternating between the two.
2. Drag the tip of a butter knife through the batter, creating swirls. (I created swirls parallel to the length and the width of the pan.)
3. Bake for 25 to 29 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the blondies comes out with only a couple of crumbs. (The testing spot should be in a central location that does not have the toppings because they will appear wet when the base is fully baked.)
4. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.
5. Use the parchment sling to gently lift the blondies from the pan. Cut into bars.

Note: Store blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. (We placed a few in the refrigerator and they were also absolutely fabulous chilled.)