Polka Dot Blondies

What’s more festive than an explosion of colorful polka dots? Chocolate-filled polka dots. You might be tempted to devour these chewy blondies on your own, but make sure to save plenty for your customers!

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Makes 16 bars

 

INGREDIENTS:

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  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

  • ¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces, such as M&M’s

 

DIRECTIONS:

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  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper.

  2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the brown sugar and keep stirring until the butter is almost fully incorporated into the sugar, with a shiny texture; this might take 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.

  3. Stir in the vanilla and salt.

  4. Beat in the egg, and do it quickly so that it doesn’t start to cook!

  5. Stir in the flour, salt, and half of the chocolate candies until the batter is combined, saving the rest of the candies to sprinkle on top before baking.

  6. With a rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly, and scatter the candies you saved over the top.

  7. Bake until the blondies are set in the middle, 20 to 25 minutes.* Cool completely before lifting out the parchment and cutting the brownies into bars.

 

*Don’t overbake the blondies! The middle should no longer be jiggly, but you also don’t want it to be baked completely through, like a cake. The texture is best when soft and brownie-like. 

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From The Lemonade Stand Cookbook: Step-by-Step Recipes and Crafts for Kids to Make--and Sell!, by Kathy Strahs (Burnt Cheese Press, 2017)