Today, Alaska from Scratch turned 2 years old! We’ve come quite a long way in the last year since our first blogiversary. I couldn’t have done any of this without my amazing readers and fans. So, thank you for being here. Thank you for reading, and cooking my recipes, and for coming back and reading again. Thank you for your questions and comments, for your senses of humor, for your encouraging words, for your honest feedback, and for taking chances with me in your kitchens when there are so many recipe options out there for you to choose from. I consider it a great privilege that you have have allowed Alaska from Scratch into your lives and onto your tables. A hundred times, thank you.
I’ve learned something new about myself this fall: I’m tremendously particular about apple desserts. I’ve been wanting to post something sweet and appley all season, and had made multiple attempts, but none of them were blog-worthy for me. I made what should have been, by all accounts, a marvelous buttermilk apple cake with cinnamon sugar topping. It was lovely to behold. But, to me, it was just okay. Then, I decided I’d make a glorious apple crisp with brown butter crumble topping and vanilla ice cream. Meh. Just plain meh. I didn’t think it was good enough. After two mediocre attempts that should have been clear winners, I realized that it’s not the desserts, it’s me. Perhaps there are only a few apple desserts I truly like? Perhaps I’m the problem here? It’s a tragedy, truly. Apples are fall, apples are Americana, apples are downright delicious. I was determined not to give up. I was going to develop a new apple dessert recipe I loved this season if it killed me.
Eureka! I’ve found it. These Apple Butterscotch Blondies are exactly what I was hoping for. Rich, buttery, and gooey, with bites of tart apple to offset the sweetness of the butterscotch. I knew that the apples would give off some of their juices in the baking process, so I added a small amount of oats to the blondies to absorb the moisture and add a nice little chewy texture. So blessed good. Next time I make these, I think I’ll bake it all in a cast iron skillet and serve it family-style with vanilla ice cream on top. Go make these. Seriously, do it.
Other Alaska from Scratch apple favorites:
Caramel Apple Pull-Apart Bread
Apple, Feta & Pecan Green Salad
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Green Apples & Bacon
Maple Dijon Potatoes with Apples & Chicken Sausage
Cheddar Apple Buttermilk Biscuits
Apple Gingerbread Upside-Down Cake
Apple Butterscotch Blondies
Rich, gooey butterscotch oat blondies studded with bites of tart green apple. An easy, perfect dessert for fall.
Yields: 9-12 bars
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup flour
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats (not quick oats)
- 1/2 cup tart green apple, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 square pan.
In a mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter and the brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until smooth. Stir in the flour, salt, oats, apples, and butterscotch chips. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven about 20-25 minutes or until set on top and golden on the edges, but still somewhat gooey in the center. Allow them to cool at least 15 minutes before cutting into bars. Great served warm or room temperature. Best enjoyed the same day.
