Peanut Butter Blondies
sticky + salty with a bay leaf caramel swirl
Making new friends as an adult is hard. Moving across the country and then making friends as an adult is even harder. Toss a baby and a remote job in the mix and there are days where it feels next to impossible.
When we lived in Nashville, I was teaching and I quickly formed a tight-knit group of co-workers turned friends. We had opportunities throughout the day to stop by each other’s classrooms for a breath and a catch up, we could decompress and vent about our day during our exceptionally short lunch period, and we often found ourselves meeting up to work out or walk after school. In Seattle, there were three other couples who we met through mutual friends who, within a matter of months, became more like family than friends. We would show up at each other’s homes with a moment’s notice and make big batches of curry tacos or we’d find ourselves exploring teeny pasta bars in the city together. In Orlando, Martin and I re-connected with friends from high school and college, celebrating birthdays and babies alongside people who may know us better than we know ourselves.
While our many adventures have given us beautiful friends scattered across the country, there are so many days here in NY/NJ where I just wish there was someone I could meet for coffee or to go for a walk. I long for moments of catching up that don’t have to happen through a screen and over multiple time zones. How one goes about making new friends, especially in a highly transitional season (aka, becoming a mother and learning who I am as my identity morphs and changes to accommodate this new role) I haven’t quite figured out. If you have any tips, let me know.
With that in mind, Martin and I decided at the beginning of the year, that we were going to step out of our comfort zone in an effort to build some community here. We’ve always been dinner party people—we love cooking and hosting and welcoming people into our home—so this year, we decided to have some sort of get together at our home on a regular basis. We invited some of Martin’s co-workers and families over for drinks and dessert after his game last weekend and unfortunately, the game did not end well and our gathering got completely rained out. It was a bust.
I think that putting yourself out there is a little scary, especially when you’re new, but we’ll keep doing it because finding your people is important. Until then, we have these leftover peanut butter blondies and each other.
and on a related note…
I found a new-to-me Substack newsletter called Platonic Love that is helping me feel a little less lonely. Weekly link round-ups and essays are written by Aliza and Aja and reading it feels like having coffee with a friend. The newsletter tagline is… A newsletter for women in the messy middle: navigating the transformation from “twenty-something” to “Adult with a capital A.” If that sounds like you, subscribe!
peanut butter blondies with bay leaf caramel
makes one 9x13” pan, 16 blondies
Ingredients:
for the bay leaf caramel:
60 g (¼ cup) heavy cream
2 bay leaves, dried
100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
1 tbsp water
½ tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp unsalted butter
hefty pinch of salt
for the blondies:
240 g (2 cups) all purpose flour
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp kosher salt
113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter
90 g (⅓ cup) creamy peanut butter
300 g (1 ½ cups) brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
57 g (¼ cup) buttermilk, at room temperature
Procedure:
to make the caramel:
Bring heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. When the cream is hot, but not boiling, remove it from the heat and add the bay leaves. Cover and let steep for 15-30 minutes, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Discard bay leaves before using.
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until caramel is a deep amber color and all of the sugar has dissolved.
Remove the caramel from the heat and slowly stream in the flavored heavy cream, whisking continually. Return to the heat and continue whisking and cooking for 1 more minute.
Remove the caramel from the heat again and whisk in the butter and the salt. Transfer to a glass dish and cool completely. Store caramel in the refrigerator for up to a week before using. (Note: Room temperature, scoopable caramel is easiest to work with in this recipe. If I am using the caramel cold from the fridge, I will zap it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds before swirling.)
to make the blondies:
Preheat the oven to 325° F and line a 9x13” baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the butter and peanut butter. Heat over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until both are completely melted and mixture is smooth.
Pour the butter/peanut butter into a large bowl and whisk in the brown sugar. Let cool slightly and then whisk in the eggs and vanilla until batter is homogenized.
Add the dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with the buttermilk, whisking only until batter is thick and smooth and no dry clumps remain.
Spread the batter in an even layer in the prepared pan. Dollop the cooled caramel over the blondie batter and use a knife or skewer to swirl it in.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until deeply golden brown. Let cool completely and sprinkle with flaky salt before slicing and serving.
Leftover blondies will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days.