my sweet boy turns FOUR today! im sitting here wondering how in the world he grew up so fast!! his birthday is the third one we've spent in a semi lockdown/ quarantine state. we have this whole DIY birthday thing down by now! as with the previous two birthdays, the special person gets to choose the cake. being the toot he is, the request was for a vanilla cookie, blue frosting and sprinkles. so, in lieu of cake, he's getting brown butter funfetti blondie bars!
my first thought was to make a giant sugar cookie. then, i remembered how much i LOVED giant cookie cakes as a kid. two and two came together and the blondie was the cookie of choice. i decided to modify an older blondie recipe of mine. with a few swaps it was birthday ready. these brown butter funfetti blondie bars, like my loaf cakes, are perfect for celebrating everyday.
what's in these blondies
these blondies are made from a handful of pantry basics. making them perfect for throwing together. these are the best kinds of desserts in my opinion! these blondies call for:
- brown butter
- eggs
- vanilla bean paste
- light brown + granulated sugar
- gluten free flour
- balking powder + soda
- salt
- sprinkles
the result is a chewy cookie bar that's perfect for a party! think of it as "small batch" birthday baking at it's finest. 🙂
what is a blondie anyway?
as with cakes, cookies have many variations based around the same handful of ingredients. flour, butter, sugar, eggs, leavening agents and some extracts are all base ingredients for a number of cookies. so, what is a blondie anyway?
a blondie can be described as a butterscotch or blond brownie. the butterscotch flavor comes from the combination of butter and the caramelization of the sugars in the cookie. they like brownies because both are dense, chewy dessert bars. joy of cooking gives a slightly longer explanation if cookie education is your thing!
do i really need to brown the butter?
for some baked things, the toasty butter flavor isn't needed. other flavors shine though. the irresistible nutty flavor gets lost and its not worth the extra step. that is NOT the base in cookies. always, always brown the butter to take the flavor over the top! browning butter is one of my go to moves for all my quick breads.
how do you brown butter?
this is super easy to do. you do have to hover over the butter, but it is so worth it. here's how you make it:
- evenly cube butter
- place butter into a light color sauce pan
- heat over medium-low heat for a few minutes
- once melted, the butter will foam
- whisk foaming butter together
- butter will continue to foam, whisk every 30 -60 seconds
- lower heat to low
- foam will subside and brown bits of butter fat will form at the bottom
- whisk continuously until the brown bits are golden brown with a nutty smell
- immediately pour into a heat proof container
- cool to room temperature to use like melted butter
- cool in the fridge for 30-45 minutes to use like softened butter
- reform room temperature brown butter into a stick by storing in a small, rectangular container in the fridge or freezer.
- tip: browning the butter releases most of the water content in the butter. this changes the weight of the butter slightly. (10 tablespoon butter reduces down to 8 tablespoon or ½ c, 20 tablespoon butter reduces down to 16 tablespoon butter, or 1 c). browning butter reduces the weight by 15%. for every 8tbsp brown butter used in a recipe, increase the another liquid by 1 tbsp.
- read more about browning butter here
a few tips for the perfect brown butter funfetti blondies
- GF flour weighs more than all purpose. for this recipe, use 1 ¾ c all purpose in place of 1 ½ c GF flour
- make sure all ingredients are room temperature
- do make these with brown butter...its worth it!
- make it vegan by using melted vegan butter
- its better to under bake vs over bake
- a few moist crumbs in the center is perfect
- line the pan with parchment paper for easy removal
- cool completely to room temperature before topping with optional buttercream frosting
- its highly recommended to top buttercream with more sprinkles!
brown butter funfetti blondie bars
Equipment
- stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer
- 8x8 baking pan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
brown butter funfetti blondie bars
- 1 ½ c GF flour (222g) sub with 1 ¾ c all purpose
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ c brown butter (113g) 10 tablespoon browned, reduced to 8tbsp or ½c)
- ½ c light brown sugar (110g)
- ½ c granulated sugar (110g)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ c sprinkles
classic vanilla buttercream frosting
- ¼ c unsalted butter, softened
- 2 c powdered sugar, sifted (235g)
- 2-3 tbsp milk, as needed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp sprikles for topping
Instructions
brown butter funfetti blondies
- To make the brown butter, melt butter in a clear heavy bottom pot. Once the butter starts to foam, whisk continuously until brown bits start to form. Remove from heat, pour into clean bowl, skim the foam from the top and cool to room temperature (25-30 minutes).
- Line 8X8 baking pan with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350F. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat browned butter and sugar until smooth and well combined, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each one. Add vanilla extract, beating until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ½ batch at a time. By hand, mix each time until JUST combined. A few flour streaks is okay! Fold in sprinkles. Drop evenly sized scoops into the prepared pan. Evenly press batter/dough into the pan.
- Bake at 350 for 25- 28 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs. The edges will pull slightly from the pan. Cool in pan on a cooling rack for 30 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool an additional time as needed to room temperature before frosting.
classic vanilla buttercream frosting
- In a stand mixer, with paddle attachment, place butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, vanilla extract and 2 tablespoon milk. Beat until smooth and creamy. If needed, add 1-2 more tablespoon milk. Once smooth and creamy, add ½ c powdered sugar at a time. Beat on high until desired frosting consistency is reached. Frosting should be thick and spreadable.
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Make sure to tag me on instagram @olivesnthyme. For more delicious dessert ideas follow me on pinterest
make sure to tag me on instagram @olivesnthyme. for more delicious dessert ideas follow me on pinterest.
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