Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Blondies {Pass the Cookbook Club}

It's the last Thursday in July which means it's time for another installment of Pass the Cook Book Club!

This month, the cookbook of choice was Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust by Ina Garten. I love Ina (who doesn't right?) and as an avid Food Network fan, I was introduced to her early in my culinary journey. One of my earliest successful chocolate cake recipes is from Ina's archive and it's still my go-to for a moist chocolate cake.

So I was very excited about this month's choice and went straight for the dessert option (duh!) on the list of three recipes (Chocolate Chunk Blondies, Easy Gazpacho & Goat Cheese Croutons & Foolproof Ribs with BBQ sauce).

I made the chocolate chunk blondie recipe two ways. First in its original state with chocolate chunks and it was glorious. But the second time, I adapted the recipe to include Reese's peanut butter cups instead of chocolate chunks and because I have been on a brown butter kick lately (see brown butter week here, here and here), I browned the butter as well to enhance the flavor.

All I can say is, these blondies are the BOMB!! They are moist, crunchy and addicting. The loaded peanut butter chunks were a great addition and they added extra moisture to the bars. In addition, the brown butter caramelized the flavors and I loved it! You need to try them...ASAP seriously!! As always, any recipe from Ina is amazing and this book is already waiting in my cart for my next amazon order.


Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Blondies
Adapted from "Foolproof: Recipes You can Trust" Ina Garten

Ingredients:
½ lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, browned and cooled at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 ½ cups chopped walnuts
1 lb. Reese's peanut butter chocolate chunks

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 9 x 11 x 2-inch baking pan.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well, scraping down the bowl after each addition. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chunks with a rubber spatula.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Don’t overbake! The toothpick may have melted chocolate on it but shouldn’t have wet batter. Cool completely in the pan and cut into 12 bars.

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Please take a minute to look at all the other recipes from club members!