Brown Butter Bourbon Chocolate Chip Blondies

I just love the idea of booze and dessert coming together...and I'm definitely no stranger to adding a splash of alcohol to a recipe. I'm actually a big fan of it!

I was planning on sticking to the original recipe and just melting the butter, but then I remembered how much better browned butter is! The first time I tried it was with these  Chai Spiced Coconut Blondies. Amaaazzzzzing!  

The brown butter gives the blondies a super rich and nutty flavor. Throw in some bourbon and chocolate and you have a winner!

If you're not a fan of the booze you can always leave it out, along with the extra tablespoon of flour. But seriously, why would you want to do that?!?

If you're looking for some other boozy recipes be sure to check out these Bourbon Pecan Pie Brownies, Stout Chocolate Cupcakes, and Champagne Cupcakes...enjoy! :)

Brown Butter Bourbon Chocolate Chip Blondies

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients:

1 stick butter
1 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon
1/4 cup bourbon
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8 x 8 inch baking pan with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. 
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Cook butter, stirring frequently (swirling the pot also works well), until a deep golden color develops. There will be little bits and pieces in the butter that will turn brown, but make sure they don’t burn. The butter should take on a nutty sort of flavor, and this should take around 7-8 minutes. Immediately pour brown butter into a heat-proof mixing bowl, scraping all the bits into the bowl.
• Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Beat butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the egg, vanilla, and bourbon, mixing until combined. Stir in the flour mixture, followed by the chocolate chips.
• Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack. Once cool, cut into bars and serve.

Chai Spiced Coconut Blondies

This is was my first attempt at brown butter. And let me tell you, it was super easy. The brown butter definitely plays a major role in this recipe. It gives them a rich flavor that is so good! 

The texture of these blondies is pretty amazing. They are chewy in the center and slightly crunchy on the outside. 

The chai spices in these little squares really packs a punch. Think of biting into one of these cakey squares and tasting the brown butter, coconut, chocolate, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger...yummm!

These are perfect for cool winter day - spicy and yummy and delicious with a hot cup of coffee - you have to make them!

Chai Spiced Coconut Blondies

Recipe adapted from Naive Cooks

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup coconut, shredded
1/2 cup butter, unsalted
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cardamom

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp salt

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with aluminum foil. 
• In a skillet over medium-low heat toast the coconut until it is golden brown. Place it on a plate to cool. Add the butter to the pan and melt. Keep cooking until the foam dies and you see it turning into dark brown color and small fragments start appearing. Let it cool for a minute or two. 
• In a bowl, mix the brown butter with sugar and mix until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and mix. Add the flour, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and salt and mix until smooth. Gently fold in the toasted coconut and chocolate chips to combine. Pour in the lined baking pan and make sure it covers all corners. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Cool and transfer to a baking rack. Cut into squares. Store them in an airtight container.