Snow day

Let me just start this post by proclaiming my love for snow days. Fresh snow is one of the most beautiful things out there, especially first thing in the morning. There is also no better excuse to be lazy and stay snuggled under 3 fuzzy blankets than being trapped in your apartment by snow. Two days ago, we had our first snow day of the year. I'm fortunate enough to work in an awesome middle school, a place where (among many other positive aspects) you may get an occasional surprise day off. On this snowy day, I had already wasted at least 2 hours on Pinterest, hypnotized by the thousands of cupcake and cookie varieties out there. Side note: if you're ever in search of a lazy way to fill time/avoid homework at all costs, Pinterest is one surefire way to go. 

As a broke grad student who was locked in the apartment by a wall of snow, there weren't many options for recipes. Finally, I stumbled on a recipe for Snickerdoodle Blondies. All I could think about was the warm fuzzies that anything with cinnamon and butter can bring on. The recipe turned out to be everything I had hoped for! Another bonus to the recipe: my boyfriend isn't crazy about sweets and he loved it. So for me, this is a keeper automatically. Hope you enjoy it as well :)

Snickerdoodle Blondies

Yield: About 24-30 blondies   Prep time: 15 minutes   Cook time: 25-28 minutes 

Ingredients 
Blondies
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Topping
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and set aside. 

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl, then set aside. 

3. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until just combined (this will save a bit of time when using the mixer). Using an electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs (one at a time) and vanilla, mixing in each. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until just combined. Throughout the mixing process, use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl. Once you're finished mixing, give the dough a final stir to make sure all the flour is incorporated. 

4. Spread the dough evenly into the greased pan. This was a thick batter - using a rubber spatula was helpful in spreading it into the pan. Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl then sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter. 

5. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until the surface springs back when gently pressed. Allow to cool completely before cutting (however, I did sneak a piece when it was still warm and it was phenomenal). Store in an airtight container at room temperature. 

Recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker