Grain Free Gingerbread Blondies with Chocolate Chips (also refined sugar free)

Probably the last thing I’m able to get posted before Christmas, sure wish I could get to posting more often like I used to.  Someday.  I’ve missed it.  But here we are, the last week of December, Christmas Eve tomorrow and the year is gone.  2013, not my favorite year, we’ve sure had our fair share of trials in our family.  Bring on 2014!  I wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a great coming new year as well!

I haven’t been making as many treats as I’d like.  Just haven’t had the energy to do so.  Bums me out!  But I did make a few things worthy of getting posted, so here’s one.  I took a few ideas and recipes that were grain free, refined sugar free and made these blondies.  I’ve been craving gingerbread like crazy and these have really hit the spot.  I do like gingerbread without chocolate, but for some reason I prefer it WITH chocolate—go figure.

These are simply made with almond butter and coconut sugar for the sweetener.  There is a little coconut flour in them as well as some molasses and those wonderful spices that make gingerbread so good.  I have really enjoyed them slightly heated up with a few more chocolate chips on top—they get all melty and add a nice topping.  They are just find without the extra chocolate.

Grain Free Gingerbread Blondies with Chocolate Chips, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1 cup almond butter (I made my own with almonds I roasted)

2 tablespoons unsulphured blackstrap molasses (It doesn’t have to be blackstrap)

2 large eggs

2/3 cup coconut sugar

1/4 cup coconut flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/3 cup Organic Fair Trade chocolate chips, more for topping if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line an 8 inch square baking pan with nonstick foil (or grease with coconut oil).  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the almond butter, molasses, eggs and coconut sugar.  Whisk together until well mixed.  (This can all be done by hand or with an electric mixer.)  In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Spread the mixture evenly into the baking pan.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Let cool then remove from pan by lifting the edges of the foil and cut into squares. 

Put those few extra chocolate chips on top of a piece of the blondies and  warm it up for 15-20 seconds.  Then let it sit for a minute.  The chocolate will melt a little, then just spread it over the top, it wasn’t all that pretty when I did it that way late one night, so I don’t have a photo, but it sure tasted great!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year!  So grateful for all who read my little ol’ blog.

Chocolate Cinnamon M&M’s Blondies—12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies

I’ve found these new Cinnamon M&M’s a couple weeks ago and wanted to use them, but make sure it was something really good.  And I think I did just that! 

The M&M’s are good with more of a subtle cinnamon taste.  They are good just for munching.  They are perfect in these blondies.  I don’t know if you’ll be able to find the Cinnamon M&M’s (I got them at Target), or if they’ll only be available during the holidays, but try to find them if you can.  If you can’t find them, if you like cinnamon and chocolate, I still think these blondies would be really good with just the addition of ground cinnamon in them.  Try these, they are a fun little twist on blondies.

I have found it is definitely worth it to gather all your ingredients and measure out and prep each thing before beginning.

Here’s what the blondies looked like ready for the oven.

After 35 minutes baking they are ready to cool--

Cut the bars and they are ready to devour.

These are dangerously good!

Chocolate Cinnamon M&M’s Blondies, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

Cinnamon Streusel Filling:

1/3 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup (2 oz.) good quality chocolate, chopped (or mini chocolate chips)

Blondies:

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup light brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

Scant ½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup (3 ounces) good quality chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips)

½ cup Cinnamon M&M’s (chopped—optional) plus more for the top

½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8x8 baking pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. (Foil is optional, but my preferred way to then just lift the blondies out of the pan and cut on a cutting board.) Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the 1/3 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon and 2 ounces of chocolate. Set aside. In another small bowl, combine the 1 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Since the M&M’s are kind of big (they’re bigger than plain M&M’s, I carefully chopped each one. A little tedious, but didn’t take too long. Plus, the bars are easier to cut without the big M&M’s throughout. You could easily make these blondies with plain M&M’s if you can’t find the cinnamon ones. Chop the chocolate if not using chips.

Beat together the butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until creamy. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in the chocolate, M&M’s and nuts. Press about 2/3 of the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top and press it down a little. (I didn’t quite use all of it.) Dot the rest of the batter over the top. (It will not completely cover the top and that’s okay!) Sprinkle with extra chopped M&M’s if desired.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without raw batter on it. Cool the blondies in the pan on a wire rack until completely cooled. Remove from pan and peel the foil off the back. Cut into squares.

Package up a few of these to give as a holiday gift for your friends or neighbors.  They are my final pick for the 12th week of The Twelve Weeks of Christmas Cookies!  Anyone else feel a little sad it’s over?  I will still be baking, so I don’t really feel sad.  I do feel like yelling “Ahhhhh” that Christmas is so close!  I should probably do a little shopping for it—soon! ;)  Check out the other 12 Weeks bloggers final goodies!

Special thanks to Brenda at Meal Planning Magic for heading up and leading this group this year.  Great job.  Happy Holidays, Everyone!  May they be sweet for you!