Peanut Butter Toffee Topped Blondies
I spend a lot of time perusing Tastespotting and Foodgawker. Occasionally one of those sites will accept my pictures and a smile will magically appear on my face 
Oh when I say “occasionally” I’m usually referring to Tastespotting on that one. I think Foodgawker has it out for me. My acceptance rate with them is something like 5 in 36. It’s a blow to the self esteem let me tell you. I once read a post by a fellow blogger, Peabody, who had the same issue but in reverse. Tastespotting seemed to be the one doing the denying. I think she said it best when she wrote “I feel like I am the nerd girl desperately trying to get to sit at the cool table in junior high. Tastespotting is my cool table.” Although in my case Foodgawker is my cool table. Anyone else ever feel like this?
This has very little to do with my post except I found my inspiration for this dessert from a lovely picture I saw on Tastespotting from The Urban Baker. I decided to take part of her recipe and pair it with a peanut butter blondie recipe I saw on the fantastic blog My Kitchen Addiction. With everything combined I made one of my new favorite desserts. It was peanut butter heaven! Enjoy!!!
Also I asked you all to let me know any recipes you would like to see on my site so here is my new list of things to post for this upcoming year:
- Ice Cream
- Fish Recipe (That is going to be hard for me but I can do it!)
- Cake of any kind
- Banana Bread Variations
- Seafood Recipe
- Tiramisu (I should have done this through Daring Bakers but I was lazy)
- Cinnamon Rolls
- St. Patty’s Day Recipes (Coming Soon!)
- Recipe Comparison – Bobby Flay Throwdown Style
- Cinnamon Bun Cheesecake
- Flan
- Giant Coconut Cake
Peanut Butter Toffee Topped Blondies
Ingredients:
For Bars:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups dark brown sugar
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
For Topping:
1/4 - 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
2 tablespoon heavy cream
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped heath bits
Source: Urban Baker and My Kitchen Addiction
Directions:
For Bars:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch pan and set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from the heat, and stir in the peanut butter. Allow to cool while combining the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt – in a large mixing bowl.
Add the eggs, one at a time, to the brown sugar and peanut butter mixture, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared dry ingredients, and stir to create a thick, smooth batter.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, spreading the batter evenly to the edges of the pan.
Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan then add topping.
For Topping:
In a small saucepan over medium heat and melt chips and the cream until smooth. Drizzle the mixture over cooled blondies then spread out with knife. Sprinkle with heath bar.
Delicious blondies. I’ll take a couple as a pre-oscar appetizer.
btw…nice list of thing to make. I know you can do them!!! Can’t wait to see whwat you’ll come up with.
I have not baked any blondies myself….they look so delicious!
Yum… I loved those blondies when I made them, and now I’m hungry for them again! Love the topping… they look de-lish! I look forward to seeing all of your upcoming recipes for the next year… I’m sure you’ll do great with them. I’m excited for the ice cream. I have an ice cream maker, but I don’t use it nearly enough!
I am a huge fan of those heath toffee bits, and when peanut butter’s involved it’s even better! Looks delish!
OMG – what fabulous blondies!
Your blondies look soooo good! I love peanut butter!
those blondies look fantastic! i’ll have to try making them soon.
Drool! Those look unbelievable.
Those look super awesome. I love me some toffee. Sorry you are getting the big reject.
I haven’t tried toffee chips on top of a blonde, it’s a great idea!
These blondies would definitely be pure heaven for me! (And Foodgawker publishes way more of my photos than Tastespotting… Interesting.)
Peanut butter blondies sound perfect.
Mimi
excellent bars, brandy! the toffee bit-peanut butter chip combo on top would really tickle my fancy.
and don’t worry about foodgawker–they’re so inconsistent and random, there’s no use trying to figure out how to please the-powers-that-be there.
Your bars look scrumptious!
I love anything with PB.
These look fantastic. I too, love anything with peanut butter
*kisses* HH
That’s so funny b/c I have the opposite problem. Foodgawker is the only one that accepts any of my pics (and even they accept only about half)–Tastespotting hates me. I’m always surprised that even foodgawker accepts anything b/c honestly my pics aren’t very good–I’m using a very cheap (less than $100) camera and don’t know what I’m doing–but I’m not going to complain! These blondies sound divine–a must try! Looking forward to all those recipes, esp the throwdown recipe comparison & cinnamon bun cheesecake.
P.S. I can’t believe foodgawker won’t accept your pics. They are so wonderful–what is their problem?! I wonder if after they deny you several times you get on a black list and they just automatically reject your pictures? That’s how I feel with tastespotting–I can’t get through!
Fabulous recipe…really love the toffee/peanut butter on top! Makes for a double good blondie!
Your blondies look amazing!
I think somebody really smart is going to create a seminar on how to get accepted to both those sites! I totally feel your frustration cuz I experience it too! I think they both specific secret criteria that you have to figure out. A lot of it’s lighting and a lot is how your process the image through photo shop. Anyway that’s as far as I’ve gotten on their secret criteria so far! Good luck. I think your photos are great btw!
I think we’ve all been there with Tastespotting and Foodgawker.
But you’re right, they do provide some amazing inspiration…like these delicious blondies!
Oh wow, I won!
I agree with you about FG. I get denied by them all.the.time. These bars look great!
Scrumptious! I love the toffee topping on those blondies!
Oh yes, definitely. I think we all feel that way
Tastespotting is my cool table as FG accepts me more often 
Love this recipe, looks so fab!
Hey are you on my Food Bloggers Discussion List? If not we would love to have you! Email me amanda AT amandascookin.com
I gave up on FoodGawker and Tastespotting a long time ago. I got mad and said *&%* them! I should try again though since I have a new camera now. I put mine on Photograzing – they aren’t as picky. These blondies rock! Love the topping!
These look great! I have the same problem with FG- they’ve accepted few of my photos. I have better luck with tastespotting, but lately both seem to be rejecting me (well, my photos anyway).
I like your blog a lot and will be back again!