TWD: Creamsicle Blondie Bites (aka. My Best CCC's)

Kait of Kait's Plate chose this week's TWD recipe, what Dorie Greenspan calls, "My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies" on p. 66 of Baking: From My Home to Yours.

I felt like exercising my creativity this week so I omitted the nuts, used white chocolate chunks, added 1 tbsp orange zest and baked this in mini-muffin tins. I also made sure to clock-watch obsessively so I wouldn't overbake them. The result was a Creamsicle Flavored 2-Bite Blondie! I was really pleased with the results - very moist and chewy with a slightly crispy top and just the right balance of vanilla/orange. I made regular drop cookies with the last few tablespoons of dough, but I prefer the denser, richer texture of the blondie bites.

Be sure to spray your mini-muffin tins well and to remove the bites before they are fully cooled otherwise the chocolate hardens and sticks to the pan making removal a bit of a pain. I have posted the (adapted) recipe below because I made so many changes. For the original, check out Kait's blog (link above).



Creamsicle Blondie Bites
30 bites | Adapted from Dorie Greenspan

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp orange zest (feel free to use more if you want)
2 large eggs
12 oz white chocolate chips or chunks

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease 24-36 mini muffin tins.

Combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed for about 1 minute, until smooth. Add the sugars and beat for another 2 minutes or so, until well blended. Beat in the vanilla and zest. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 3 portions, mixing only until each addition is incorporated. On low speed, or by hand, mix in the white chocolate.

Press the dough into mini muffin tins. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. If they are slightly underbaked that's okay, it gives more of a moist/fudgy texture. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for 5 minutes, then run a thin knife around each blondie bite and transfer to a cooling rack. Store air-tight.