Cookie Butter Blondies

I think I must have been one of the last people to hear about this cookie butter stuff. At first I dismissed it as a special type of butter for making cookies. Silly me. After reading more about it I ran into Trader Joe's during my lunch break to pick up a jar to see for myself what the talk was all about. I had to try it right away of course (I waited until I got back to my desk) and it was even more flavorful than I expected. As advertised, it was like gingerbread and biscuit cookies, but in the texture of peanut butter. I was distracted for the rest of the day thinking of all of the ways I could use it in baking. In place of peanut butter? Stuffed inside baked goods? Layered with other flavors?

Working it into blondies wasn't my most exciting idea, but it is the first one I was able to try out since I needed something not too gooey and elaborate that I could use to contribute to a camping potluck (along with my pasta salad). The night of the potluck I heard people I had never met recommending them to others and by the time my friends who were late getting back to the campsite arrived they were long gone (as it turned out I still had a few in another container somewhere that I had forgotten about. Sadly, they were a bit stale by the time they were found...oh, don't worry, they still got eaten).

Cookie Butter Blondies
How I did it:

(makes 24 bars)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 heaping cup cookie butter
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup white chocolate chips


1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan melt the butter and then add the brown sugar. Stir mixture constantly until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in cookie butter. Set aside to let cool.

3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4. Add one egg at a time to the saucepan mixture followed by the vanilla, making sure to mix well after each addition. Pour this mixture into the dry mixture and stir until smooth (will be very thick). Mix in white and dark chocolate chips, reserving some for the top, if desired.

5. Pour into baking pan, making sure it is evenly spread out. Sprinkle remaining chips on top and press down lightly.

6. Bake for about 20 minutes or until it start to lightly brown. Remove from oven and let fully cool before cutting into bars.