GYCO ~ Pears: Pear and Allspice Blondies

Good morning everyone!  

It's time for the first Get Your Chef On competition of 2013.  

Woo!

Today I'm giving you a spin on the classic Blondie.  Nothing crazy or high end, just good simple comfort food.  Desserts should hug you when you eat them, and I could sure use a hug right now.

One Year Ago: Country Fried NY Strip

Pear & Allspice Blondies

Adapted from Baking Basics and Beyond

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Bartlett pear, peeled, cored, and diced

Topping

2 Bartlett pears, halved and thin sliced

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9" x 9" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and 1 cup brown sugar until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla; mix until well combined.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture in two additions, mixing until just combined after each addition.  Add pears to batter and stir in by hand.
4. Pour batter into prepared dish.  In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon allspice.  Top batter with sliced pears.  Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over pears.
5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool completely.

**The pear topping for these Blondies is not from the original recipe. If you prefer to top you Blondies with Buttercream, skip the pear and brown sugar topping, and frost after the Blondies are completely cooled.