M & M and Chocolate Chip Blondies

Guess what time it is?  Secret Recipe Club time!  A Secret Santa of sorts for food bloggers.  Each month everyone is assigned a blog....and, shhhh....it's a secret.  You spend the month stalking browsing your assigned blog.  You pick a recipe, make it and blog it.  Everyone in the group "reveals" their posts on the same day.  It's a great way to get know a new blog, and find lots of yummy new recipes to try.  Plus it's fun! 

This month I was assigned Carrie's Sweet Life.  Carrie does indeed have a sweet life, with 2 beautiful little girls and a hubby and little dog named Peanut.  I enjoyed browsing through Carrie's Sweet Life and pinned a number of recipes to try.  Ultimately I went with something sweet.  Had to be done, right?

Carrie's M&M Blondies lured me in.  Like a chocolate chip cookie wrapped up into a chewy bar with M&M's and a gorgeous crackled golden top.  Yep, it had to be done.

This recipe is easy and comes together quickly...only 2 bowls required and no mixer needed.  Gotta love that. 

So how do they taste?  Delish!  The blondies have a wonderful caramel flavor due to a combination of light and dark brown sugar (no white sugar here).  The texture is indeed chewy on the inside and I love the slight crunch from that crackly top.  Oh, and I couldn't resist amping up the chocolate factor...so in addition to the cup of M&M's...I also threw in a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips.  This recipe is versatile so you could add in whatever mixins you were in the mood for. 

Enjoy!

M&M and Chocolate Chip Blondies
adapted from Carrie's Sweet Life

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
3/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup M&M's
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 9x9 inch pan with cooking spray.  Cut 2 pieces of parchment to lay in the pan to form a sling (allowing for easy removal of the blondie after baking).  Lay in the first piece of parchment and spray with cooking spray.  Lay in the second piece on the opposite side and spray again.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt.  In a large bowl whisk melted butter with light and dark brown sugars until fully combined.  Whisk in eggs and vanilla until combined.  Add the flour mixture in 2 parts to the wet ingredients until just combined.  Stir in the M&M's and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared baking pan.  Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until top is golden and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Note: I baked mine in an 8x8 pan and increased the baking time 10-15 minutes.