Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

While I was searching for recipes before making the Stuffed Peppers, I got a huge craving for sweets. It didn't help that I was searching on Pinterest, where dessert recipes are pretty much every other post, but I was on a mission to fill my craving! I love chocolate chip cookies so obviously, cookie bars are even better.

I wasn't quite sure how they'd turn out since I haven't dabbled in gluten free baking before but I did a little research and figured out how to swap flours to make it work. I think adding xanthum gum would have made them a bit fluffier but I have yet to find it at my local grocery stores. Maybe next time. In the end, I fulfilled my craving I was happily surprised by the result of the flour swap.

Recipe: 
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups Bob's Red Mill gluten free all purpose flour 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1/8 teaspoon baking soda 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/4 cup milk, or semi-sweet chocolate chips, I probably used closer to 1/2 cup!

Directions: 
1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8″ square pan and set aside.
2) Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.

3) In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar, stirring constantly until smooth. 

 4) Remove from the heat, and stir in the peanut butter. Allow to cool.

5) Add the egg to the butter & sugar mixture and mix well.

6) Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine.

 

7)  Pour the mixture into the prepared dry ingredients, and stir to create a thick, smooth batter.

8)  Fold in half the chocolate chips, reserving the rest for sprinkling on top.

9) Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, spreading the batter evenly to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips and lightly press them into the batter.

 

10)  Bake for 25 minutes until the top is golden and the edges are slightly browned. Allow to cool in the pan. Cut into squares and serve.

And voila!! My first gluten free dessert!