Alright, I’m going to be honest with you for a moment. My first introduction to blondies weren’t at home or in some fancy bakery. My first taste of blondies happened at Applebee’s. Yep, you read that right, Applebee’s. There’s nothing wrong with Applebee’s or any other chain restaurant, if that’s what you prefer, but before I realized the importance of supporting local restaurants, Applebee’s was one of the chain restaurants I would frequent. I would always save room for a blondie, which is what drove me to today’s post: bourbon chocolate chip blondies.
So back to Applebee’s for a moment.
I have no idea if they still have the blondie on the menu but I vividly remember it coming out on a really warm platter – like the ones they served fajitas on. There was a warm maple cream sauce served on the side that you could drizzle on top. Then there was ice cream – you can’t forget about the ice cream. I mean, I really enjoyed this little dessert (minus the nuts that were served with it). It was such a treat.
I’ve never tried to recreate the Applebee’s dessert but a quick internet search will result in a few recreations like Creme de la Crumb and Genius Kitchen. Today, we’re talking chocolate chip blondies but that’s not it: there’s bourbon in it too. These are pretty bourbon-y so if you’re not a fan, just reduce the measurement a bit.
Bourbon chocolate chip blondies
These aren’t the Applebee’s blondies but they’re pretty delicious. I could even imagine making these again and drizzling a rich, warm chocolate sauce on top. Similar to Applebee’s but a little more adult.
The best part of this recipe is: THERE’S NO LONG LIST OF INGREDIENTS. Don’t you hate when you set out to make a recipe then you see the ingredient list and promptly change your mind? I do. If the ingredient list is too long, I’m generally not going to try it. Anyway, let’s make some bourbon chocolate chip blondies.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup bourbon
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a square (8x 8) baking dish with parchment paper.
- Stir together the melted butter and brown sugar until well-combined. Add in the egg, vanilla, bourbon, and salt and stir until smooth.
- Add in the flour, and stir until just combined. Then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are a little crispy.
- Cool completely before slicing.
Applebee’s definitely still has that delicious blondie on the menu. The caramel sauce was the highlight of it. I am going to try this recipe and make a caramel bourbon sauce to drizzle on top.