Blondie Cupcakes

This weekend I added a new cookbook to my repertoire: Martha Stewart's Cupcakes. I am almost embarrassed to say that I never owned a copy until now. From what I hear from fellow bloggers and foodies, this is the book to own.

Wonderful glossy photos, great recipes and fabulous decorating tips fill this book from from to back. One glance and I fell in love.

Of course initially I was tempted to dive right in and make a more glamorous cupcake - like a split Boston Cream Pie cupcake but time was not on my side. I needed something that didn't require a lot of presentation work - no time for fancy piping yesterday. Plus, I wanted something portable for school lunch boxes and dolled up cupcakes just don't transport well. Then I spotted Martha's recipe for Blondie Cupcakes. No need to frost these, easy to make, a family favorite and I had all the ingredients handy and pretty much ready to go.

You will need to set aside about 45 minutes though to get your butter to room temperature so keep that in mind before starting this recipe. Eggs too will need to be at room temperature. Other than that , the batter itself comes together in a matter of minutes.

The sweetness comes from golden brown sugar, butterscotch chips and toffee baking bits. I used Heath bits but Skor work well too. The original recipe called for cashews but I left these out to ensure these golden cakes were school-friendly.

The finished consistency of these blondie cupcakes is what you would expect from a blondie, not from a cupcake. They are dense, rich, sweet and have a very tight crumb. If you were considering frosting them, I think a cinnamon buttercream or cream cheese frosting would be ideal.


So if you are ready to get started then let's go!

RECIPE:
*adapted source recipe Blondie Cupcakes, Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

WHAT YOU NEED

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup toffee bits

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
LINE standard 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners

IN MEDIUM BOWL, whisk together first 3 ingredients
IN BOWL OF STAND MIXER fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on high speed for 3 minutes
SCRAPE down sides of bowl
ADD EGGS and vanilla and continue to beat on MED speed for 2 minutes
ON SLOW SPEED, add in flour mixture and stir just until combined
FOLD in butterscotch chips and toffee bits
FILL muffin cups 3/4 full with batter
WITH WET FINGERTIPS, gently press down cupcakes and smooth tops
BAKE 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached
REMOVE from oven and place muffin tin on a cooling rack
LET cupcakes cool completely

ENJOY!

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