Chocolate and Pecan Biscoff Blondies

Several weeks ago, I started noticing a number of recipes posted for Biscoff this or Biscoff that. Quickly, I learned that the makers of those fabulous little cookies had begun selling a peanut-butter like spread. Bloggers were talking about the spread on their sites and coming up with fancy new ways to use the goodie in their recipes. So, as a lover of all spreads. And as a lover of all things Biscoff. I immediately rushed to the grocery store only to find that my efforts were thwarted by the Biscoff company, who had not yet begun to distribute the product to Washington state.

Naturally, I turned to the interweb to discover that Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, as per usual, had the products in store. So I did what I always do. I phoned home. And even though I said "just look for it the next time you run to the store," but thirty short minutes later, I received word that Biscoff spread had been purchased and was practically en route to Washington in a fancy little care package. I am so spoiled.

I had fun for the first few weeks eating this delicious Biscoff spread. You might recall that I made bread with it. Then I made ice cream with it. Ron made "adventure sandwiches" with it. (Ask him if you are interested.) And for a few nights, it was used in place of peanut butter for my daily peanut butter and graham snack. (This occurred before I swore off peanut butter and graham crackers, a sad and devastating day that I have yet to recover from, but that's another story.) But most importantly, I made these blondies when the recipe was posted on this amazing blog.

These blondies are so good that I can't even begin to describe how good they are. I always brag about my ability to portion control but I seriously couldn't portion control with these. There was almost a fight for the last crumb! Thank goodness I halved the recipe or Ron and I would be oompa-loompas right now. Nothing stopped me from eating them - not even skinny models who bring on periods of self-loathing. (I browsed through a Victoria's Secret catalog while polishing a blondie off. I subsequently threw the catalog across the room shouting offensive comments at the innocent women inside the magazine, but that's a diversion. . .) But just trust me on this, these are THAT good. And who cares if it sets you back a few extra calories for the day (or week?) because they are worth it. Just be sure to check online to see if your local grocery store carries Biscoff spread. Otherwise, it looks like Mommy Dearest will be sending you a care package too!

Chocolate and Pecan Biscoff Blondies
from Duchess of Fork, adapted from Joy the Baker
Ingredients

• 10 Tbsp butter, cut into cubes
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup Biscoff spread (please don't substitute this!)
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and sugar together until butter is just melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from stove and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then stir in Biscoff spread.
3. Allow mixture to cool for 5 minutes more, then whisk in eggs and vanilla. (Mixture will be thick.)
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together salt, flour, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Stir until just incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth out.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Enjoy!