TWD: Blondies and Apple Pie

Miss A's Birthday!

It's been rather busy around here. My sister's birthday was last week and that meant lots and lots of cupcakes. I'm such a slacker that the cupcakes were all purchased rather than made. I hate myself for that, but I keep reminding myself that I can make up for it in the future. All of these cupcakes and celebrations (we believe in extendo-birthdays around here!) meant I didn't do much baking even in spite of my best and grandest intentions. I'm catching up this week!

I'm campaigning hard to win the "Thanksgiving Desserts" seat on our Turkey Day board of directors around here. I've never had an official role before; I am allowed to see to the table settings and flowers, and I fight for my right to fill the water glasses, but other than that I tend to be relegated to the very lowliest of activities relating to the meal. This year I'm out to change that, and I think this apple pie was an excellent first step. In fact, I think this might be the campaign equivalent of winning the New Hampshire and Iowa primaries as it was hands down the best apple pie I've ever eaten, and I don't even really like apple pie. Dr. M (pie snob extraordinaire) said, "it might not be the best apple pie I've ever had, but it's as good as the best apple pie I've ever had." Interpret that statement as you will; after all, this is the same man that liked to ask where the other 6 points were when you showed him your test with a 94 at the top. 

Now, we're at a general loss around here as to exactly why this apple pie is the best ever because the recipe is awfully similar to my go-to recipe. I scrapped the tapioca (bluh bluh blugh shudder blugh) for equal amounts of flour, but I did add the graham cracker crumbs. I usually cook down my apples a bit before putting them in the pie shell, and I was nervous that skipping that step might equal a runny mess of a pie. It was perfect; so, we (Dr. M and I) think it must be the combination of apples:  I used three Granny Smith and three Jonagold apples. There was absolutely NO rhyme to that reason -- those just happened to be the apples in the fridge on the day I made this pie. My mom asked if I could recreate it . . . and I'm not sure I can, but I can't wait to try. Hank is the apple pie expert around here and he didn't get a bite so I'll have to try it again if only to get his reaction. Emily Rose, of the oh-so cute blog, Sandmuffin, chose this recipe, and I'm so happy I had the chance to try it out.

For every great success it seems the pendulum has to swing in the other direction, ergo the peanuttiest blondies. I've tried to make these a couple of times before, and I don't know what the problem is, but I have bad peanuttiest blondie juju . . . or something. When I make these blondies they are just beyond chewy. I mean, there's good chewy in baked goods:  this is usually a subtle chewy you might find in a great cookie. Then there's bad chewy:  the kind of chewy when your knife bounces back when you try to cut. That's the kind of chewy my blondies are. Full disclosure:  I overbaked my blondies.

I was grading papers while the blondies were baking and time just slipped away. Somewhere in the comma splices, fragments, and one student's assertion that if his wife complained about balancing work and motherhood he would "sit her down and explain she needed to stop being a nagging b*tch and start acting like a loving wife" these blondies baked a leetle bit too long. I still think it's a wonder I remembered to take the blondies out at all. 

These blondies are certainly chewy, and I had to cut off the outer margins, but other than that they're tasty little bites. I have to admit, I love the whole chocolate-peanut butter combination so, overbaked or no, I do like the flavor. My blondies are sad, overbaked bricks but check out Nicole's blondies if you want to see what a fabulous blondie looks like. Jheesh -- I want my blondies to look like that! Maybe I'll have to try the recipe yet again without multitasking this time.