CREAM CHEESE CARROT CAKE BLONDIES

I looked through some saved recipes recently and came across this one.  I needed to take a treat for someone and thought this would be a good one to try.  The cream cheese seemed to blend into the batter a little more than I thought it would, but they were still pretty tasty.

CREAM CHEESE CARROT CAKE BLONDIES

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup chopped pecans (if desired)

CREAM CHEESE SWIRL:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg YOLK

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare an 8x8 baking dish with baking spray.  

To make blondies, stir together brown sugar and melted butter until smooth. Add egg  and vanilla and stir to combine.  Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt and stir to combine.  Fold in carrots and pecans if used.  

To make cream cheese swirl, combine softened cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla until smooth.  

Spread half of blondie batter into baking dish.  Spreading out to edges.  Blondie mixture is really thick.  Dollop half of cream cheese mixture on top.  Add remainder of blondie mixture.  Dollop other half of cream cheese mixture.  Take an offset spatula and swirl the mixture to blend.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Cool and cut into squares. 

SWEET ALABAMA PECAN BREAD

These days it is hard to bake for anyone other than family.  Pot lucks and gatherings with large groups have been gone since March when I went to my last pot luck.  I don't bake for myself, so baking these days comes with Sunday dinners with family or visiting my cousin.  I found this on Pinterest in several places so I decided to try it.  We have had a really nice pecan season this year after having several years of slim to none.  I took advantage of having some really nice ones for this recipe.
SWEET ALABAMA PECAN BREAD
1 cup granulated sugar1 cup brown sugar, packed1-1/2 cups flour2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt(If desired you can use 1-1/2 cups self-rising flour instead of all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt)1 cup oil4 eggs1 teaspoon vanilla2 cups pecans, chopped1 teaspoon vanilla2 cups pecans, chopped
Mix all ingredients well and pour into a 9 x 13 baking pan that has ben sprayed with Pam or Baker's Joy.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean from middle.  Cool for 15 minutes before cutting into squares.

LEMON BARS

My blog has been so neglected.  I haven't been baking as much as I used to.  Most people request things I make often or are their favorites.  Almost everyone has made lemon bars one time or another.  I had a blessing of lemons this year from people's yards and froze a lot of juice.  I love anything made with lemon.  I needed a dessert recently so went in search of lemon bar recipes.  There are so many but this one seemed to work the best.  They were well received and not a crumb left on the plate.
LEMON BARS
CRUST:
2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup powdered sugar 2 sticks butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 pan evenly.  Stir together the flour and powdered sugar.  Pour the melted butter over and mix well until crumbs form.  Put into the sprayed pan and pat down until evenly distributed.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until light brown.  Set aside.
LEMON CURD:
6 eggs 3 cups granulated sugar 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 cup flour 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla
Whisk eggs until they are light and fluffy.  Add sugar, baking powder and flour.  Add  lemon juice and vanilla. Blend well. Pour mixture over crust.  Bake 45 minutes or until no longer jiggly in the center.  Cool completely before cutting.  Cut into squares.  Sprinkle powdered sugar over.