Snickerdoodle Blondies

I was craving something sweet this weekend (when am I not) so I whipped up these Snickerdoodle Blondies I found on Pinterest. I made them dairy free, but I'm sure they'd be even better with real butter. The flavor was more savory than sweet because of the cinnamon and nutmeg, but they made for a great rainy winter night dessert. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

  • 2-2/3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 3 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon, divided
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  • 2 Cups Packed Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1 Cup butter, at room temperature (or use a dairy-free butter substitute)
  • 2 Large Eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon Real Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Tablespoons Sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and lightly grease a 9×13 inch pan.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and set aside.
  3. In large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar until well combined.
  4. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until smooth.
  5. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended.
  6. Spread the batter evenly in your prepared pan (I lightly greased a spatula for easy stick-free spreading).
  7. Combine the 2 tablespoons of sugar and the remaining 2 teaspoons of cinnamon in a small dish. Evenly sprinkle the mixture atop the blondie batter (it may seem like a lot, but go for it).
  8. Bake the blondies for 25 to 30 minutes or until the surface springs back when gently pressed. They will be firmer and raised around the edges, sinking in the middle. No worries, this is okay.
  9. Let the blondies cool in the pan completely before cutting.

Recipe from Go Dairy Free

{made for dinner} Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

balsamic-glazed-pork.jpg

We made this for dinner last week and it was so good I thought I'd share. We've been trying to add more pork into our dinner rotation as a way to mix things up, and when I saw this on Pinterest I knew we had to try it. It's definitely sweet, so if you don't like sweet meat it'd probably not for you, but otherwise I recommend giving it a go. Time is really the only factor here (it's a slow cooker recipe), but it couldn't be easier (just throw everything into the crock pot). Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 (2 pound) boneless pork tenderloin (or regular pork loin)
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup water

Glaze
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:
Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

Recipe courtesy of Let's Dish.