Heath Bar Blondies with Brown Butter Frosting

Did you know that brown butter smells like heaven?

Yup, it pretty much does. But then again, so do fresh baked cookies, the combination of melted butter and chocolate, and homemade caramel.

Matt referred to our apartment as a fudgery recently, and although I don’t actually make fudge, the meaning behind his comment was true.  We live in an endless supply of  baked goods.  I’m convinced that whoever rents our apartment after us will wonder why their home smells like chocolate.  Maybe they should pay extra for that.

But I digress.  This weekend was full of a baking marathon unlike any I’ve had in a while.  I’m trying to get a little ahead of schedule on desserts for the blog, but now I have a dozen recipes that I want to share with you IMMEDIATELY.

Guess I now have something else to keep my mouth shut about.

But in the spectrum of those desserts, the one that was iced with a frosting that smelled like heaven seemed the most pressing to share.  These brown sugar-based blondies are dense and chewy, filled with one of my favorite candies for baking and topped with a frosting that might put you in a butter-loving coma.  You’re welcome.

Heath Bar Blondies with Brown Butter Frosting
Serves 12

Blondies:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk chocolate toffee bits or finely chopped heath bars

Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter,  browned and chilled for an hour*
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk

To Make the Blondies:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Grease a 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or butter and set aside
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside
With an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy
Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined
Stir in the flour mixture just until combined
Stir in the candy pieces
Bread batter into prepared baking dish and bake for ~20 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from the center; do not over-bake
Set aside to cool and prepare frosting

To Make the Frosting:
When brown butter is chilled, beat it with an electric mixer on high speed until light and creamy
Slowly add the remaining ingredients alternating 1/3 of sugar, 1/2 of milk, 1/3 of sugar, remaining 1/2 of milk and remaining 1/3 of sugar
Turn up the speed and mix until the frosting is light and creamy
Spread over cooled blondies
Store blondies in refrigerator but bring to room temperature before serving

Notes:
*To brown the butter, heat it in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; when butter turns to an amber/light brown color, remove from heat immediately.  You should be able to smell the deeper more caramel flavor of the butter
Frosting adapted from Southern Living Magazine

And just to keep you excited for what is to come, this isn’t even the baked good that Matt claimed to be the “Best.Dessert.Ever.”