Apple Walnut Browned Butter Blondies

I know I always whine about fall. I hate the cold. I miss the flowers and the bare feet. I pine for watermelon and fresh strawberries.  But, there are a few things I like about fall.

1. The colors of the leaves changing. Duh. Everybody likes that.

2. Fall clothes. Jeans, fuzzy sweaters, and boots. Lots of boots.

3. Halloween. For obvious reasons that might include the words "free", "Reese's", "peanut butter", and "cups". In no particular order.

4. Honeycrisp apples. The kind you get at the orchard. I do not exaggerate when I say we have probably devoured close to 50 apples so far this year. I would like to kiss the lady who sells them down the road. But not really.

 

Anyways, I made these blondies today. They're pretty awesome, but I wish I had had some toffee bits to put in them. Then they would have been PERFECTION. Too bad I was too lazy to get off of my butt to go to the store and get some. 

But you... you can go get some toffee. Because that's the kind of relationship we have. You fulfill all of my dreams and I live vicariously through your achievements. Right? Right.

Apple Walnut Browned Butter Blondies
 Adapted from these brown butter blondies from Girl Who Bakes

6 tablespoons cold butter, sliced

1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

1 egg whites

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1 cup roughly chopped walnuts

1 cup thinly sliced and peeled apples (I used 1 smallish honeycrisp)

1 cup toffee bits (optional)

Cook the butter on the stove on medium heat until lightly browned. Stir with a whisk and be very careful not to burn. Stir in the sugar and then beat in the eggs. Beat with a whisk until smooth. Stir together the flour, powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture and beat with a whisk until smooth.

Pour about 1 1/4 cup of the batter into a greased 8x8 inch pan. Top with half of the nuts and half of the toffee bits (if using). Lay the apple slices in one thin layer on top of the nuts. Pour the rest of the batter all over the top and spread to cover the apples. Top with the rest of the nuts and toffee. 

Bake at 350º for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

And don't get yourself too excited about that jar of brownish liquid in the corner there. It is not caramel as your ravenous mind may have thought, but a glass of apple cider.