Super Delicious Maple Butter Blondies

If you ever go to Applebees, you must try the Maple Butter Blondies. They are so incredibly delicious and will cause you to eat so much that you may or may not need to unbutton your pants to be comfortable, or to possibly make room for another Maple Butter Blondie. They are that good.

Well, a couple of months ago Food Network Magazine came out with a copy-cat recipe for this fabulous treat and it tastes just as good as the original. It has become my job when my family gets together at my mom's to make the Blondies. It is a blessing... and a curse. I've created some Maple Butter Blondie addicts, and it is a hard and tasty habit to kick, and I honestly don't think that they are trying very hard to do it. So tonight I will be making another batch of goodness and passing this burden on to you, so that you too may have some addicts in your homes. I mean, seriously, where did they find these things? Heaven?

Almost-Famous Maple-Butter Blondies

Ingredients

For the Blondies:

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature,

plus more for the pan

1 cup walnut pieces

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

6 ounces white chocolate, cut into chunks

For the Topping:

1/3 cup maple syrup

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

1/2 cup walnut pieces

Directions

Make the blondies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter the foil. Pulse 1/2 cup walnuts in a food processor until almost fine (do not overprocess). Whisk the ground nuts, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat 10 tablespoons butter and the brown sugar with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the white chocolate and the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until the blondies are light brown around the edges and spring back when pressed, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly on a rack.

Meanwhile, make the topping: Place the maple syrup and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the mixture bubbles and thickens, swirling the pan, about 6 minutes. Add the cream and continue to cook until the mixture is the consistency of caramel.

Use the foil to lift the blondies out of the pan, then cut into large bars. Serve warm topped with ice cream, the maple-butter sauce and the walnuts.

Original recipe can be found here.