Strawberry Blondies
- Olivia
- Apr 22, 2015
- 3 min read
Grey skies are gonna clear up, put on a happy face! Whenever I think about that line of the song, I remember an animated (maybe, not sure if it was animated) version of this that I saw on TV. I think it was sung with puppets. I remember it was a duet and the two people singing were arguing with each other while singing. It was hilarious and became the reason I love this song. If any of you know what I'm talking about, can you please send me the video?
Update, I just remembered that I saw it on the Nanny, on the episode when Fran and Gracie were in the talent show!
I flashbacked to this song when I stepped outside this morning and saw the sky. It was so grey and sad. Especially on such a happy day! Why is today a happy day you ask? Because today is Administrative Professionals Day (formerly known as Secretary Appreciation Day). And while my job never really goes out of their way to do anything to show they appreciate us, this year, us secretaries decided to show appreciation for each other. I made strawberry blondies for everyone, and was pleasantly surprised to find a giftbag at my desk filled with little goodies! While I was a little sad that it didn't come from the administrators, I was still really happy that someone took the time out to appreciate me (she actually did this for everyone not just me). Then the principal really suprised us with a bouquet of flowers, certificate of appreciate and giftbag from John Bull (local jewellery store). I was a little overwhelmed as this is actually my first time ever receiving a bouquet of flowers. I really loved the surprise and genuinely felt appreciated!
I chose this recipe because who doesn't love fruit and chocolate? This is one of those guilty pleasure recipes because the only healthy part of it is the strawberry. Everything else is pure sugary, buttery goodness (lactose intolerance be damned). Careful, these blondies are so much fun, your brownies may get jealous!
Strawberry Blondies
Ingredients:
8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup strawberries, hulled and halved
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom and sides of an 6x6 baking pan with parchment paper (I like my blondies/brownies thick not flat), leaving a slight overhang (this will help the blondies come out of the pan later). Butter parchment.
In a double boiler or a bowl set over (but not touching) a pot of gently simmering water, melt chocolate and butter, stirring constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. At this point your batter should have cooled slightly to just above room temperature; it may appear to separate, that’s ok, it’ll get better.
Whisk in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add flour and baking powder and stir until just incorporated and no dry flour remains. Fold in strawberries. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Place pan on a wire rack and cool completely.
Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan, then cut into 2-inch squares. Blondies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Before I go, here are 5 great quotes about appreciation (especially when you're feeling underappreciated):
"Next to excellence is the appreciation of it" - William Makepeace
"No one who achieves success does so without acknowledging the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude." - Author Unknown
"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." - William Arthur Ward.
"Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone" - G.B. Stern
"The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated." - William James
So don't forget to thank your secretaries, or even your local barista. These are the people who keep you looking competent every day!
XoX,
Olivia
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