ROSEBUD PARTY MINT BLONDIES RECIPE:

I cannot even express how much I love the flavor of white chocolate mints. I've been wanting to make something with them for quite some time. Months ago I tried to make ice cream with them. That was a fail. So, I decided to try baking with them. First, I made cookies. They tasted awesome, but the rosebud party mints melted outside the realm of the cookies like melted crayons. That's when I came up with the blondie idea. Yay! I made a winning recipe! I just made another batch yesterday and actually took the pictures to prove it.

Rosebud Party Mints

First, I must explain the various types of white chocolate mints. The type I use for this recipe is called rosebud party mints. You can find them in the bulk candy section at specialty grocery stores. They are about the size of a penny, and work well for baking. They are also around $4 a pound, $3 cheaper per pound than the Smooth 'n' Melty's! Score!

The second is the most well known white chocolate mint. The Smooth 'n' Melty, by Guittard. They come in three different varieties. Smooth 'n' Melty wafers, non-pareils, and mini non-pareils. Though the non-pareils are the prettiest of the white chocolate mints, they are not good for baking due to the crunchy non-pareils. The wafers are best for baking, but they are about the size of a quarter.

The third, is specifically made for baking. I wish I could find them at the grocery store! They are Guittard green mint baking chips. They would be perfect for this recipe, if you can find them. But, they are all green. Not pretty pastels like the others I have mentioned.

The last (but not least) is a seasonal candy. Hershey makes a Candy Cane Kiss. They are the shiznit. I hoard them every Christmas and slowly eat them throughout the year, so I don't run out. They are white chocolate mint flavored with little bits of candy cane. They are like crack, I tell ya!

Enough yammering. Here is the recipe!

ROSEBUD PARTY MINT BLONDIES RECIPE: 


1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temp
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups rosebud party mints

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour 9 X 13 baking dish. (I prefer to line the baking dish with parchment paper and leave a little extra on the sides, so I can lift the blondies out after they cool in the dish!)

Tip: Extra parchment paper on the sides!

In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla, beat well. Add the dry mixture, and mix thoroughly. Add the mints and mix. Spread batter into pan, evenly. Be sure to evenly distribute the mints, so there aren't clumps of them together. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached. It should have a nice, golden color. Let  cool completely, before cutting and serving! (This takes at least a couple hours!)

*Note: Adapted from the Magnolia Bakery Blondies with White and Dark Chocolate Chunks Recipe!*

Brown Butter Sea Salted Rice Krispie Treats!

The other day I made my fiance a batch of brown butter sea-salted rice krispie treats because he was having a bad day at work and I wanted to cheer him up! I always forget how easy it is to make them. I also forget how much I like to eat them. After previously using sub-par recipes for salted brown butter rice krispie treats I found on the internet, I decided to use my own skills to create what I thought they should taste like. I’m going to share with you my recipe!

Brown Butter Sea-Salted Rice Krispie Treats

1 cube salted butter
1, 10 oz package of marshmallows
6 cups of rice krispies
Pinch of sea salt (or 1/4 tsp)
13 x 9 baking dish
Parchment paper

Melt butter in medium-sized saucepan on medium heat. After it melts, continue to let it bubble and cook until it starts to turn a nice, caramel brown. (Note: It will start to smell a bit like caramel without sugar!) Turn down the burner to medium-low and start to add the marshmallows. Keep mixing and mixing, until the marshmallows have melted and thoroughly mixed with the brown butter. Turn off the burner. Start adding the rice krispies, one cup at a time, making sure all the rice krispies are coated in the brown butter - marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle a bit of the sea salt into the mixture every time you add a cup of rice krispies. When you are absolutely, positively sure that it has all been mixed thoroughly, spread the mixture into a 13 x 9 pan that has been lined with parchment paper and sprayed with a light dusting of butter-flavored Pam. You will have to press and mold it into the baking dish. It is always a big, gloppy mess that must be tamed! Let cool completely, before cutting into squares! (FYI: If you add too much butter-flavored Pam, it will make the rice krispies soggy! Don’t ask me how I know that...)