Apples & October (Recipe: Apple Butterscotch Blondies)

Happy October everyone.  October is by far my most favorite month.  I love the turning of the seasons, the cooler, grayer weather, and my most favorite of all holidays, Halloween.  For some reason October always has me thinking about apples.  Strange to me because September and the apple always seemed to coincide with one another, possibly paying homage to the teacher/student relationship.  But for me it has always been apples & October.

Apple Butterscotch Blondies are perfect for a fall day.  It is a very simple recipe with a wonderful butterscotch flavor, thanks to the dark brown sugar.  Using fresh apples ensures that these little guys will definitely be moist, especially if you sit them out overnight.  I found a dusting of confectioners sugar to be a simple and perfect topping, that is if just have to have one.

Apple Butterscotch Blondies 

1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped apples (I used a mixture of Granny Smith, Honeycrisp & Gala)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter and flour a 13x9 baking pan.
2. Stir together brown sugar, butter, applesauce, eggs and vanilla
3. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder & salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to incorporate.  Add apples and pecans, stirring gently to incorporate.
4. Pour into prepared pan.  Bake for 35-45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.  Cool completely before cutting.