I realized it’s been a while since I posted a brownie recipe and I thought we are long overdue for another because brownies are AWESOME. I also realized that I still haven’t posted a blondie recipe which is weird because I talk about them all the time. Seriously, I mention blondies at least once a day to my friends. There is something wrong with me, I’m sure. Actually, no, there is nothing wrong with me. blondies are just the best, that’s all.

I also have a thing for adding alcohol to my brownies and blondies. Today, I was inspired by the drunken blondie recipe from my The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook. This cookbook is amazing. There are so many delicious recipes, it kind of makes my head spin. I also took a couple of notes from the blondie recipe from Smitten Kitchen which advocates drunker blondies. Drunker blondies are happier and so am I.

Okay, I know what you are thinking and I promise I only have a glass or two of wine every couple of weeks, and always with dinner.

I wanted to keep these drunken blondie bars fairly simple, so I didn’t get too fancy with them except for making my own roasted cinnamon sugar walnuts. Mmmm.. these walnuts are absolutely perfect. If you ever have a craving for walnuts, I highly recommend just snacking on these. They are crunchy, sweet and lightly salted. Oh, so good!

Back to the blondies.. the way I made them may be a little too intense for some people, so feel free to cut back on the whiskey a bit. Like when you are cooking with wine, you should use the whiskey you would normally drink. These drunken blondies are great for serving at a party or to try out something new without getting too crazy with the experimentation. The recipe is very simple to follow and is very forgiving.

The end result is a sweet, delicious bar with a nice kick that will keep you wanting more. They are thick and moist with a sweet, salty crunch from the walnuts. My stomach is growling thinking about them. What’s great about them is that they aren’t too rich, so you can enjoy your dessert without feeling too weighed down or guilty.

I recommend topping them with a scoop of ice cream – rocky road or just vanilla is perfect. But really, you can’t go wrong with any ice cream.

Drunken Blondie Bars

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 sticks of butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup of your favorite whiskey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8x8 baking pan or line with parchment paper.
2. Lightly spritz the chopped walnuts with water - just enough to moisten them. Mix the sugar, cinnamon and coarse salt together and toss the walnuts in the mixture until completely coated.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake the walnuts for about 10 minutes, or until they are nice and toasted. When you can smell the walnuts, it is usually time to take them out. Set aside to cool. (Try not to eat them right away!)
4. In a skillet, add the butter and stir constantly on medium heat until it browns and smells nutty. Allow to cool slightly
5. Cream the butter and the sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, whiskey and vanilla extract together.
6. In a separate bowl. mix the flour, espresso powder and salt together, then slowly pour unto the wet ingredients. Do not overmix.
7. Fold in the walnuts and pour the batter into your baking pan.
8. Bake for about 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the blondies to sit in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.