White Chocolate Blondies

I know I've neglected my blog.  I'm very sorry.  If I offer you White Chocolate Blondies will you please, please forgive me?  In my opinion, white chocolate can make up for almost anything...

White Chocolate Blondie Bites

From the February 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces

1/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup tightly packed shredded coconut (sweetened or not)

1/4 cup slivered almonds

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Coat 11x7 inch baking pan with cooking spray.  Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper or foil and spray again.

In a double boiler, combine white chocolate, butter and sugar.  Cook over low heat until melted and smooth.  Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.  Then, stir in the eggs, vanilla and flour.  Lastly, add in the coconut.

Pour batter into prepared baking pan.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.  Cool 15 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely.  Cut into squares and serve!

Cookies for my baby sister.

Lying on a stretcher, waiting to go into surgery for her ruptured appendix, my youngest sister could only think about how hungry she was (and how she was worried she wouldn't wake up, like that person on Grey's Anatomy...). She hadn't eaten for two or three days, due to sickness and surgery preparation. I told her I'd bring her cookies as soon as she was allowed to eat and she requested "peanut butter cookies with chocolate drizzled on top". Feeling very sorry for my baby sister, I got right to work.

Peanut Butter Cookies (With a Chocolate Drizzle!)

Adapted from this recipe on 17 and Baking.

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Beat the peanut butter and butter together. Add in the sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Then add in the egg, milk and vanilla, again beating until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients to form a light dough.

Drop 1 inch balls of dough onto cookie sheets and flatten with a fork or the bottom of a glass. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to racks to cool completely.

For the chocolate drizzle:

Melt about 1 cup of chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, stirring until smooth. Put chocolate into a plastic sandwich baggie and cut a tiny corner off the bag. Drizzle onto cookies and let set. If you're feeling creative, draw cute shapes with the chocolate!