Blondies, Caramel Chocolate Cookies, and Chess Pie

A bunch of baking, for 2 occasions.

First, the blondies were from a while back, when a picnic was decided to be had in drizzly weather.

And, more recently, I attended a potluck-ish party, and cookies and a pie were made at my house!

Chocolate Caramel Cookies [aka Rolo Cookies]:

Next up: Chess Pie

RECIPES:

Blondies

Blondies
source: Smitten Kitchen from How to Cook Everything

• 8 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or ½ teaspoon almond extract
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

1. Butter an 8×8 pan
2. Mix melted butter with brown sugar – beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla.
   Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in any additions (below).
3. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle. I always err on the side of caution with baking times — nobody ever complained about a gooey-middled cookie. Cool on rack before cutting them.

Further additions, use one or a combination of:
1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts, toasting them first for even better flavor
1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon mint extract in addition to or in place of the vanilla
1/2 cup mashed bananas
1/4 cup bourbon, scotch or other whiskey; increase the flour by one tablespoon
2 tablespoons of espresso powder with the vanilla
Stir 1/2 cup dried fruit, especially dried cherries, into the prepared batter

Caramel Chocolate Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup + 1 tbsp sugar, divided
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsps vanilla exract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans, divided
1 (13-oz) pacakge Rolo candies

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter, 1 cup sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda; add to the creamed mixtre and beat just until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans.
2. Shape dough by tablespoonfuls around each candy. In a small bowl, combine remaining pecans and sugar; dip each cookie halfway. Place with nut side up on ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake at 375 fo 7-10 minutes or until top is slightly cracked. Cool for 3 mintes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Chess Pie

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 5 eggs
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.)
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar and flour. Beat in the eggs and buttermilk until blended. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla. Pour filling into the pie crust.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until filling is set.