Maple Blondies with Maple Cream Sauce

I am back from Girls Camp, and I am still trying to catch up on sleep, laundry, dishes, and housecleaning. Wowser! My poor husband had to deal with a sick baby while I was up in the mountains with no cell service, so I’m just glad everyone was fed and driven to all of their activities while I was gone.

Life continues to be crazy, so for the next few weeks I will be sharing some of the recipes I’ve got saved in my files. Because nothing new is happening in the way of home improvement projects, that’s for sure!

I adapted my favorite blondie recipe to come up with this yummy dessert. The maple flavoring gives them a rich, buttery, caramel flavor, so don’t leave it out! Toasting the pecans adds a great nutty flavor, so I recommend not skipping that step either. The bars alone are chewy and delicious, but topped with vanilla ice cream and homemade Maple Cream Sauce, they are out of this world!

Maple Blondies

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp maple flavoring
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup pecans *toasted
Whisk together melted butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and maple flavoring and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into creamed mixture. Add nuts. Spread into a well greased and parchment lined 9×13″ pan. Bake at 350° for about 22-25 minutes. Top will be shiny and golden brown. Don’t overbake!
*I have also baked them in an 11×7″ pan for 30 minutes. They turn out a bit taller, which I kinda liked.

Maple Cream Sauce
2 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
5 Tbsp water
1/2 cup cream
1 tsp maple flavoring
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently. Boil for 2-4 minutes. The longer it cooks, the thicker it gets. Keep in mind that it will also thicken as it cools.

Tips:
-To toast nuts, spread on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake at 400° for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.