I had hoped to close out the year that was 2011 with a post showcasing the fabulous desserts I had made for Christmas Day dinner. Alas, there were a series of baking catastrophes that occurred, and my planned desserts were scrapped, forcing me to salvage what remained into new desserts baked on Christmas morning. Oh sure, everything tasted great, but they were not up to my normal holiday dessert standards. C’est la vie.
I could do a post highlighting memorable events on the blog from 2011, but I’m sure you’ve had your fair share of those already from countless other blogs. Plus I can’t think of a ton of super memorable events from this year…which is somewhat depressing really.
No, instead I will share with you a baking triumph from a few weeks back that somehow I had forgotten about.
And actually, now that I think about it, it’s a very timely post. The start of a new year brings about countless resolutions, many involving healthy living habits. What does that have to do with this white chocolate studded square you may ask?
This square has a secret.
It features vegetables. Squash to be exact.
I saw this recipe for Butternut Squash Blondies with White Chocolate Chunks on the Whole Foods website, and knew I needed to try it out. I happened to have a kabocha squash hiding in the cupboard, and figured it would be an acceptable substitute for the butternut squash, since it has a good level of natural sweetness.
Aside from the squash substitute, I also reduced the amount of nutmeg and added some cinnamon. Otherwise, it was pretty much true to the original.
Soon enough I was rewarded with a pan of golden brown, lightly spiced, deliciously sweet blondies. I shared them with some of my classmates, and all had good reviews. The squash blondies were a hit!
So if your new years resolutions include upping your vegetable intake, why not keep this recipe in mind the next time you need a sweet treat? Did I mention it’s whole grain as well? You can’t go wrong!
Happy New Year’s to everyone – have fun, stay safe, and see you in 2012!
Looks yummy, Marianne! Happy New Year!!
Squash blondies?!? Genius! Must try!
Happy New Year Marianne! I actually have a butternut squash in my pantry – I may have to try this!
Those blondies look so good! I’m all about squash in my desserts. Sorry to hear about your less than stellar baking. I didn’t have the best year myself. Must have been something about 2011. Here’s to better results in 2012. Happy New Year!
Marianne – here is the link to that restaurant I mentioned in my last blog post:
http://salttastingroom.com/
Let me know if you go there!
This looks simply scrumptious. I love white chocolate and this blondie looks great.