Brown Butter Half Sheet Blondies

 Grease or spray a half sheet pan.     Preheat oven to 350.


1 stick butter, browned

2 sticks butter, melted



Mix together dry ingredients in an extra large bowl:

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt



Combine browned and melted butter, stir in:

3 cups brown sugar

then: 
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
4 eggs

Gently mix wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then stir in:

1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped  (I accomplish this by putting nuts into a gallon ziploc bag and taking out my frustration with the bottom of a heavy saucepan!)

Spread on prepared half-sheet pan.    Bake approximately 25 minutes until lightly golden brown.  

When life gives you lemons ... or prematurely thawed blueberries: Blueberry Muffins

Life with three kids gets interesting.    Someone, probably someone with the same last name, left the freezer open a little bit ... enough that the ice bucket had chilled water and most of the food thawed.     Including a whole quart of New Jersey blueberries frozen for a winter pie.   I also had three ready-for-baking overripe bananas.  So I decided the only course of action (besides tossing thawed meat and cleaning the freezer) was to make muffins - a LOT of muffins:








Melt (or better yet brown!) a two sticks of butter.    Stir in three mushed overripe bananas.  Cool a little bit then stir in 1 1/2 cups of milk and a cup of sour cream, then 5 eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla and if you have it on hand a dash of orange oil.     Then add one cup of brown sugar and one cup of white sugar. 

In a separate bowl measure 7 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 Tablespoons of Baking powder (YES TABLESPOONS) and mix together

Stir liquids and dry ingredients together in whichever bowl is very large.   






I was using these new muffin papers, which allow me to make taller muffins in standard muffin tins.   Scoop about 3oz of batter into each muffin paper.    Sprinkle each LIBERALLY with sparkling sugar or raw sugar for a bit of a crispy top.  This made 31 large muffins.   (Most of which I wrapped individually in foil once cool - and into the freezer they hopped!)

Bake at 425 for about ten minutes (so they rise and get a nice crispy crust), then lower temp to 350 until cooked through. 

Vanilla

Homemade vanilla extract smells so wonderful and is a great gift for a wide range of people!    Even non bakers can add a splash to their coffee or fresh whipped cream or even their morning yogurt smoothie. 

To make 1 quart:

3.5 cups vodka (not the good stuff, but get a decent brand)
1/2 cup bourbon or sometimes brandy or sometimes rum (another 1/2 cup vodka would also work)
2oz vanilla beans, each one split down the middle

Place all in a quart jar and shake well - you should see the seeds in the liquid.    Repeat every couple days for three months.

Vanilla extract, brewed in my Pennsylvania home for at least three months with three simple ingredients:   whole vanilla beans, vodka and a splash of bourbon.

I started making my own vanilla because I wanted a strong vanilla with no fillers.   I only brew double strength.   What is "Double Strength" or "Double Fold" vanilla?   Brewed with twice the vanilla beans for more of the vanilla scent and flavor.

No corn syrup.   No water.  No artificial flavors