I'm so excited to share this recipe not just because it's delicious, but because it also comes to us courtesy of my precious eldest daughter. She created this tasty snack while 'chilling' in preparation for a much-anticipated flight to England yesterday. Yes! It's hard to believe just yesterday my little 20-year-old kid departed on her very own to start an epic adventure, one that her family - along with our close friends and extended family too - here at home couldn't be more excited about. She's gone to the UK to be with her love, a move that's been 3 months in the making and first germinated on our family trip to France last summer. The anticipation of her departure has been killing us these past 3 months (not to mention her and her love as they were separated), and I'm grateful that she very kindly left us with full hearts and a tasty recipe that I now get to share with you.
These 'Blondies' are perfect for snacking on or as a clean dessert, they are full of healthy-ish ingredients that fill the void but still feel good in the belly once they've gone down. Nik perfected these with at least 4 or 5 batches these last two weeks as her unemployed self both finished school and prepped for the trip ahead ~ I was happy to oblige as a recipe tester, and if there was ever a time to eat my feelings, well, this was it! We've now had more than a few variations, each one just as tasty as the one before. Use maple syrup or coconut sugar or even honey to sweeten but if you can, do try to avoid the refined white stuff here (cause nobody needs that). We've been making a very concerted effort to avoid refined white sugars in our house lately, and a recent pantry purge ensured that the cupboards are stocked with only pure sweets, as we don't eat many and when we do - the pure stuff is just so much more satisfying on so many levels. It's just one little thing we can do, especially within the confines of our four walls.
Enjoy these super yummy treats, and if you've young ones give them an extra squeeze today. The time with our babies can seem slow at times, but looking back today at this process I'm reminded of one of my favourite quotes, which can apply to all of us, not just those of us with children: 'The days are long but the years are short' - words that feel bittersweet to me as I write this, a grown woman both excited for more freedom and space here at home, and also nostalgic for the years I've now got tucked in my sacred treasury of memories. I love it all, truly, I really do. Love to all.
Nik's Nut Butter Blondies
- 1 cup nut butter
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup maple syrup/coconut sugar/ honey (coconut sugar works best!)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or raw cocoa nibs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and mix everything but the chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl. Add the chocolate chips and mix well. Flatten the batter onto parchment paper on a flat baking pan. Bake for 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.