copycat I am

         I'm not really one to really order dessert when I go out to dinner but whenever I go to Applebee's I have to order a Maple Butter Blondie. I mean I'm normally a chocolate girl but this dessert is sooooo yummy! So when I was browsing on Pinterest and saw that someone had pinned a copycat recipe of this dessert I nearly fell off my chair I was so happy! Of course the next day I ran to the store and got the ingredients I didn't have on hand like the white chocolate chips, syrup, and brown sugar. I have to be honest and admit that my first batch of this was a disaster but that was because of a minor error with the butter I melted it to almost liquid form and really it should just be room temp softened.   I didn't give up though and since I had all the ingredients on hand I gave it a second chance and it was a success.  Well I gave my friend Eva the first try from the second batch all done up with vanilla ice cream, maple butter sauce, and walnuts. Her response was "OH MY GOD. You are making this for me for every birthday from now on" It's her favorite and no it's not her birthday and yep it's that good. It tastes just like an Applebee's blondie, and I really think the sauce is what makes it. I had to share this amazing recipe with the world!

Finished result...

*note I omitted the white chocolate chips for the blondie that the original recipe calls for and used them in the sauce instead which I think is really how it should be and I used a different recipe for the sauce that I saw in the comments over at the source.

Copycat Applebee's Maple Butter Blondie Adapted from THIS recipe

Ingredients:

Dough:
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour (sifted)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or more if desired)
1/3 cup butter (room temp softened NOT melted)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg (beaten)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Maple butter sauce:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 pkg cream cheese
1/4 cup whole milk
3/4 pkg. white chocolate chips
2 heaping tablespoons maple syrup (or pancake syrup with 2% maple syrup)

Directions:

Dough:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the already sifted flour. Then sift dry ingredients again. Add chopped nuts and mix well. Set aside.

Add brown sugar to melted butter and mix well, use a pastry blender or two forks, it is not necessary to use a mixer for this recipe. Then add the beaten egg and vanilla extract. Mix well with a spatula. Add flour mixture a little at a time, until mixed well.

Spread out dough in a 9-inch pan. Bake for 20 to 35 minutes. ( I know it's a large range but it really depends on what size and kind of pan you use, I used an 8 inch pan and it had to cook for almost 35 minutes). Use a toothpick or fork to test if it is cooked in the center. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, walnuts and the hot maple butter sauce.

Maple Butter Sauce:

In a saucepan add the butter and cream cheese and cook over low to medium heat making sure it's melted and stirring occasionally. Then add the white chocolate chips and milk. Keep stirring (I found that it was easier using a whisk to keep it all incorporated and melted and not at the bottom of the pan. Lastly add the syrup. Keep whisking/stirring until it's all incorporated and melted.  Don't let the mixture sit there cause it can burn.  When it's all hot and bubbly and looks like a buttery sauce do a taste test (don't burn yourself!).

NOTE: this will yield a good amount of sauce and it's great cause this dessert is amazing smothered by the awesomeness that is this maple butter sauce!


Enjoy!