Showdown: Second place.

This recipe and my recipe were neck and neck for the LONGEST time. Ok, so it was really a week, but it felt like FOREVER in my world.

"Salted Cashew and Caramel Blondies" (6 quart pot)

The original recipe is HERE.

~1/2 c unsalted butter
~12 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
~1/2 t vanilla extract
~1 c firmly packed light brown sugar
~1 egg
~1 c flour
~1 t baking powder
~1/4 t salt
~3/4 c white chocolate chips
~1/3 c salted cashews, chopped

In a medium sized saucepan place the stick of butter and caramels over low heat and let melt.
Meanwhile, in medium sized bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt.
Stir dry ingredients with fork.
Cut a piece of waxed paper to fit crock pot and place it in the pot.
Spray paper with PAM.
Cover and turn crock pot to warm.
When butter and caramels are completely melted, turn the heat off and remove the pan from heat.
Add brown sugar and stir well.
Add egg and vanilla extract and stir well.
Add half of the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix well.
Add second half of dry mixture and mix well.
Stir in the cashews and white chocolate chips.
Pour mixture into crock pot and spread evenly.
Place a few folded paper towels between the lid and the pot to absorb the condensation.
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.
Turn off crock pot and remove stoneware.
Allow to sit, covered, for 30 minutes.
Remove the liner and blondie from the crock pot.
Allow the blondie to cool for 30 more minutes before cutting.

8 servings.

I'd never had a blondie before. Apparently, blondies are the love children of dense brownies (the only way brownies SHOULD ever be made) and cookies. You don't taste the salt, so don't let that scare you away. They're pretty awesome. Not as awesome as my Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese, OBVIOUSLY!!!, but still pretty awesome. Although, honestly, I feel like you could make this recipe in about 20 minutes if you made it in the oven. (But ovens are LAME!)

That's the end of "Showdown Week". We're going out of town for a few days, so my shiny new pot is going to have to see what if feels like to sit in the kitchen going unused. Maybe he and my other two pots will go all Toy Story on us while we're not here.