Donut Hole Blondies

So get this: I’m currently raising five adorable, fuzzy caterpillars.

Excuse you, don’t you “what is she talking about now?” me. You read right. I’m raising caterpillars to become painted lady butterflies.

It’s this super cool kit I used to get as a kid from Learning Express. I remember spending my childhood holed up in my room playing Barbies and staging them in weird situations little girls shouldn’t but I also remember raising butterflies several times, and lady bugs a couple times, too.

For $20, it’s a steal-deal. And obviously not just for children since I was definitely adult-like walking into a Learning Express store suddenly feeling really old as I watched kids play with train tables and things I used to play with.

My, have the times changed.

Anyway. Every day I’m 99% sure I annoy the hell out of my family because I’ll eagerly wake up and race to my caterpillars and squeal with delight upon seeing they’ve grown twice their size overnight. And now I’m squealing because they’re all furry and I keep telling everyone I want to touch them and let them crawl on me and it’s kind of grossing everyone out.

Butthey’resodamncuteIcan’tstandit!!

And soon they’ll be purty little butterflies fluttering around my living room and I can’t wait. It’ll be like I’m living in a butterfly sanctuary or something. I’m practically obligated to wear long, flowy skirts and put flowers in my hair and walk around barefoot and call my family members names like “Spirit Horse” and “Wild Hyacinth” and crap like that.

Soon I won’t be showering and I’ll have dreads in my hair and my family will be buying my organic, fair-trade deodorant which, if you aren’t aware, doesn’t work (I had an ex who used it and he still smelled soupy).

Or not.

Honestly, I’m just hoping I can keep them alive. I’ve never had a green thumb, nor have I had a science/experimental thumb besides dyeing my hair.

So bad that, in high school when our biology teacher gave us Q-Tips and told us to go swab the school and rub the swabs onto the little bacteria cup thingy, my cup didn’t even grow bacteria. It just looked plain and normal and lame and not sciencey at all. So I kind of gave up and decided I don’t need to know anything remotely science-related.

Except raising my beautiful butterfly children. And my dog. And pretending to dye my hair. And baking, of course. Because technically, these Donut-Hole Blondies are purely experimental. It was kind of those moments where you walk by the donut holes and think to yourself thinking to them, you’re going into a blondie today. 

Oh, you don’t talk to food? Nevermind.

Donut-Hole Blondies

2 cups brown sugar (light preferred)
2/3 cup butter
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 pkg glazed donut holes (like the pop’ems kind or from your local market/bakery), cut in half

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease an 8×8 inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar and butter together over medium heat until butter melts, the sugar dissolves, and the mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Allow to cool slightly.
3. Stir in eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Stir in the flour one cup at a time, then the baking soda and baking powder. Stir in 3/4 of the chopped donut holes and pour into the prepared pan. Top with a couple more donut hole halves and sprinkle with sea salt (you may not use all the donut hole halves but uh, think of something else to use them for?)
4. Bake for approx. 25-30 minutes or until center is set and blondies are lightly golden. Cool for about 1 hr before cutting into squares. Store airtight for 2-3 days.

I love when science loves me back; these are dense, sweet, salty and taste exactly like a donut hole cake. LOVE.

Have a wonderful weekend!

xo, Hayley

May be linked to:  Trick or Treat Tuesdays, Crazy Sweet Tuesdays, Cast Party Wednesday,Dwell On Friday, Mrs. Fox’s Sweet Party, Sweet Treats Thursdays, Tuesday Talent Show, Sweet Tooth Friday, Sweets for a Saturday, Strut Your Stuff Saturday