Speculoos Blondies

June 4, 2014

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims are discouraged to engage in any form of social media [unless you are spreading the word of Islam]. With all the social media we have nowadays, I must say that I could not stay away from them at all.

First week of Ramadan went very well. I have not spent much time on any social media except after breaking the fast. Though, I must admit that WordPress is open when I am at work. I have read your wonderful comments, but have not replied everyone because I know what will happen – I will stay blogging during the fasting hours and that is not good [for me]. After breaking the fast, my body is tired and all I ever want is to sleep.

One of the difficult things I encounter during Ramadan is the leftovers. For the first two days, we tried to finish the doughnuts and pizza we had over the last weekend. Gladly, I have managed to cook two dishes – the one that we call ‘Bulanglang’ and a veggie soup which I imitated from my Mom.

thenotsocreativecook-veggies

This veggie soup includes broiled tuna fish head, ginger-white part spring onion-chili mixture and coconut milk… and of course salt and spices. I made this ahead of time so I would not wake up that early [to cook] for the pre-dawn meal. I also made Egg Sandwich Spread [twice] and Chiffon Cupcakes. Salads, smoothies, fruits, chocolate custard, chips, marshmallows and lots of boiled eggs were also served. (If you follow me on Instagram, you’d probably know what I prepare.)

Also, during Ramadan, it is not advisable to watch movies, listen to the music or anything that are not useful [as what others label them]. It sounds boring, I know. I thought no funny moments would take place. It seemed that despite the sadness I felt on June 30, I still made somebody laugh. What’s on June 30, you ask? It was my Mom’s 4th year death anniversary. During that day, I always feel empty. Anyway, let’s go to the funny moment:

I was in the kitchen doing the dishes and my friend came to me, asking me if I wanted a smoothie.

B: Do you want a smoothie?

Me: No.

B: Do you want me to slice Mangoes?

Me: No.

Then my tears fell down. She hugged me and I cried and cried.

B: Calm down. Please don’t cry.

Me: Can you please give me the salad?

Getting the blender ready, I put one banana, peach and mango fruit yogurt, ice cubes and milk… waiting for my friend to hand me the remaining salad. She came back with the salad. I washed the lettuce and cucumber.

B: You can put those here. (She thought I am going to throw it.)

Me: No. I will put these in the blender – with the banana, yogurt, ice and milk. You know this is good – when you cannot finish the salad, wash them and throw them into the blender. (I was not smiling.)

B: Are you sure with what you are doing?

Me: Yes. (Drinking the smoothie)

B: How was it?

Me: (Making a face) Um, I don’t know. It’s like bitter and sweet.

Then we laughed.

The same thing happened two days back: watermelon, strawberries + cucumber and tomatoes from the salad I made. 😀 So, a piece of advice, if you cannot finish the salad and you don’t want to keep them anymore, wash and blend. 😛

And since I cannot mingle with you today, I will leave you something so heavenly.

thenotsocreativecook-Blondies

Speculoos Blondies

  • Servings: 16
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 5 tbsp butter, unsalted, melted
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup cookie butter
  • 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
  2. In a bowl, mix baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour. Add in chocolate chips. Set aside.
  3. In another bowl, mix melted butter and brown sugar.
  4. Add in egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Mix well.
  5. Add in cookie butter and mix again.
  6. Carefully fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The batter will be thick but do not overmix.
  7. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan.
  8. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
  9. Let the blondies cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before cutting.

This recipe is from one of my favorites, Sally @ Sally’s Baking Addiction.

‘Did I just go to heaven?’ These were the words that came out from my mouth when these were being baked. I was very eager to take them out from the oven. Ugh!

thenotsocreativecook-Blondies2

These were so, so good with the cookie butter. Bad luck I didn’t have white chocolate chips during the time I made these. Well, I bought one; so I would probably make these again.

I hope you enjoy these. 😀

thenotsocreativecook-Blondies3

Thank you to the ever kind, Angie, and to our co-hosts.

Happy FF#23!

(New to Fiesta? Click the image below for the guidelines.)

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Enjoy the weekend and enjoy the party!!

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Find me on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.

Yay! SARAH & JOSETTE MADE THESE.

Biscoff Blondies by Josette @ The Brook Cook

Speculoos Blondies by Sarah @ Sarah’s Kitchen

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91 Comments

  • afracooking
    July 9, 2014 at 2:32 am Reply

    This could turn into a world-wide slogan: cannot finnish it – wash and blend 😉
    I am not a muslim, but the idea of taking life back to its essence for a while appeals to me. TIme to think, time to be, time to feel. A big hug with warm thoughts for you and your losses and laughs!

  • indusinternationalkitchen
    July 6, 2014 at 8:58 pm Reply

    Hugs to you Jhuls! I know what you mean when you talk about your mom’s passing away anniversary…I lost my mom 7 years ago too but it’s still hard to get through that dreaded day every year. I am so glad you were able to laugh with your friend! You are a really amazing and strong and cheerful person! And those blondies look wicked delicious! 🙂

  • spiceinthecity
    July 6, 2014 at 3:35 am Reply

    Lots of strength to you Jhuls! I lost my mom a few years ago too, so can totally relate 🙁 glad you had a friend around to make you laugh! Ramadan kareem! Those blondies look out of this world awesome!

  • Andrea Giang | Cooking with a Wallflower
    July 6, 2014 at 1:19 am Reply

    These blondies look so amazing. I’m going to have to grab more than one from the Fiesta. I can already imagine myself being addicted to these! On a side note, I saw that this is from Sally’s Baking Addiction! Oh my gosh! I’m a fan of hers too. I want to bookmark everything from her. lol. Happy Fiesta Friday!

    • Jhuls
      July 6, 2014 at 1:40 pm Reply

      I don’t know what’s happening on my blog. You are the second blogger that I have unfollowed unintentionally. I followed you since the first time we crossed paths and I was shocked when I saw that I am not following you. Or maybe you are a .com?? Same thing happened with Sylvia @ Superfoodista. But I can see both of you on my Reader. Ugh! WordPress! Anyway, followed you again. 😉

      Thank you so much for being here. I am glad that you love these blondies. I also want to bookmark everything that Sally posts. 😀

  • Sylvia @superfoodista.com
    July 6, 2014 at 12:40 am Reply

    Jhuls, thanks so much for brining these fantastic speculoos blondies to the Party! So glad to have you here too. I can relate about your mum’s death anniversary, but good to read you had a friend around, well to cheer you up and have a good laugh about the smoothie 😉 I actually do love green smoothies! They are really good for you. I usually buy a big bag of spinach every week, some I use for cooking, some I blend with some fruits. What I like about spinach is that it basically doesn’t have its own taste. I used kale too, but didn’t like that too much 😉 Thanks again & hope you’ll have a nice weekend, Sylvia

    • Jhuls
      July 6, 2014 at 1:36 pm Reply

      Thank you so much, Sylvia. It is really good to have friends [and family] to cheer you up. 🙂 I also heard that spinach is very good with fruit smoothies. I might try that some other time. 🙂

      Btw, thanks for co-hosting and hope you are having a good time.

      PS: I didn’t know what happened by when I checked this comment, I was shocked when I saw that I am not following your blog which in fact you are one of the bloggers I am following for the longest time. There might be some problem with WordPress as I have unintentionally unfollowed one blogger, too. Anyway, following you back again. 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend, Sylvia. <3

      • Sylvia @superfoodista.com
        July 6, 2014 at 4:22 pm Reply

        Hi Jhuls, thanks so much!! 😉 I think this happened, because I changed to self-hosting over two days ago and this messed up a couple of things 🙁 So thanks so much for following me again. I love being in touch with you and always nice to see your recipes!! hugs

      • Sylvia @superfoodista.com
        July 6, 2014 at 4:26 pm Reply

        Hi Jhuls, quick technical question 😉 was it possible for you to follow me with the follow button on the top left ir did you have to subscribe with e-mail? just wondering…so I can check a few things. Thanks so much!! 😉

        • Jhuls
          July 6, 2014 at 4:30 pm Reply

          I followed you before using the follow button on the top left, but the follow button did not appear when I logged out and went to your blog. That’s when I wondered maybe there’s something wrong. But the same thing happened with Andrea @ Cooking with Wallflower. I noticed that I am not following both of you when I opened the Archive and only ‘Follow’ was written under your name.

          • Sylvia @superfoodista.com
            July 6, 2014 at 4:33 pm Reply

            Ok, thanks so much for letting me know! yeah, unfortunately, with self-hosting, I think those followers that were follower with the button, therefore through the WP reader don’t
            get moved, so you had to follow me again, but the button is gone, however I think the way you did it should work!! thanks for your help as I work through this move!! ;-)) hugs

  • Michelle
    July 5, 2014 at 10:38 pm Reply

    I’m glad you’re able to schedule posts while you’re not able to be here, I;d miss them otherwise! I’m sorry about your sad day, those days never get easier do they, I admire your strength though. Thank you for sharing these blondies, they look yummy.! Ramadan Kareem, Jhuls xx

    • Jhuls
      July 6, 2014 at 2:48 pm Reply

      They don’t get easier, Michelle, This is the first time I lost someone I really love, so I don’t know if I’ll just get used to the pain or not. Thank you so much for being here; I appreciate that. And thanks for the greetings as well. <3 Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Michelle. 🙂

  • chefjulianna
    July 5, 2014 at 12:37 pm Reply

    Hey Jhuls! So glad you could join us today and bring us your gorgeous blondes! Your know we will gobble them all up! Wash and blend, huh? Well, call me weird, but I love veggies mixed with my fruit smoothies…try some spinach and blueberries! It is totally awesome!
    Thanks so much for sharing your story with us. Losing our loved ones is something we will never get over – they are part of us, after all.

  • Nicky Corbishley
    July 5, 2014 at 5:05 am Reply

    Thankyou for sharing Jhuls. I’m sorry for your sad day 🙁
    Your blondies look amazing. I’m on a diet day, and the pictures are feeding my appetite!! I love the cookie butter addition!

  • Ginger
    July 5, 2014 at 4:02 am Reply

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences – I always appreciated Lent, the 40 days between pancake Tuesday and Easter, in that everybody was abstaining from something they felt was almost too important for them, whether it is chocolate, alcohol or social media, and not only made us this time more conscious of our everyday patterns of behaviour, it also brought us closer to our friends and family who were similarly ‘fasting’.
    I haven’t done Lent for a few years now but your post made me think of it again!

  • lapetitecasserole
    July 5, 2014 at 3:31 am Reply

    Ramadan is something that has always fascinated me, a lot. I really appreciate your strength and your determination. I’ll send you a huge hug for these days and special for your mum’s death anniversary. Thanks a lot for bringing those amazing speculoos blondies to FF, have a great we and take care of yourself.

    • Jhuls
      July 6, 2014 at 7:36 pm Reply

      One thing I like about Ramadan is we see how important food is and this makes us be careful next time to cook and eat moderately. Also, Ramadan brings us closer to our loved ones and to our Creator.

      Thank you for the huge hug, Margy. I really appreciate it. Sending hugs back… <3

      Btw, thanks for co-hosting FF23. I hope you are having fun. Have a wonderful and safe week to you! 🙂

  • Loretta
    July 5, 2014 at 2:31 am Reply

    Oh gosh Jhuls, it has to be so hard staying away from social media during Ramadan. I love learning about all the rules and regulations through you. Those blondies look amazing, I’m going to have to try it for sure. I’ll have to look for cookie butter the next time I’m at Trader Joe’s. Happy FF!

    • Jhuls
      July 5, 2014 at 2:34 am Reply

      I couldn’t agree more! Right now, I am trying to reply to all my pending comments. 😀

      Wow! That’s great, Loretta. I am excited to see your version. 🙂 Happy FF23 to you as well.

  • annainternational
    July 4, 2014 at 11:16 pm Reply

    Thanks so much for sharing Jhuls, especially on such a difficult day for you. I’m so sorry you lost your Mum, but I bet she would be proud of you (and your baking skills!). These blondies look amazing. I am a huge fan of speculoos and any excuse to buy some is okay with me! Thank you for sharing.

    • Jhuls
      July 5, 2014 at 2:28 am Reply

      I am just so sad that she has not tasted all the goodies I baked. 🙁 Thank you so much for being here, Anna! And please do let me know once you make these; I’d love to know your thoughts. Happy FF23 and have a lovely weekend! <3

  • Sue
    July 4, 2014 at 10:27 pm Reply

    Jhuls, thank you for breaking the rules to join us! I can’t decide which of these things you’ve featured is more delicious, the soup or the brownies (or blondes). You are such a gift to our FF community! Blessings this Ramadan!

    • Jhuls
      July 5, 2014 at 2:26 am Reply

      Well, you can choose between savoury and sweet. Oh! I did bring a savoury dish – wohooo! 😀 Thank you, Sue! Happy FF23 and enjoy the weekend! <3

  • Kaila511
    July 4, 2014 at 9:32 pm Reply

    I love learning more about Ramadan from your posts. While I look forward to your return after the fasting hours, I’m so glad that you’ve been able to schedule your posts in advance. I love the “wash and blend” story. And, of course, these blondies simply look heavenly. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

  • sarahgiebens
    July 4, 2014 at 4:34 pm Reply

    Oh God… I keep reading this post and looking at the beautiful and mouthwatering pictures… I think this is already the fifth time xD
    SoYUMMY! <3
    Happy Fiesta Friday!

  • mademoisellegourmande
    July 4, 2014 at 4:15 pm Reply

    Oh, Juhls, so heartbreaking. I cannot imagine how hard this day must be for every year! All the better to have at least something tasty sweet on hand. Thanks for sharing this story as well as the recipe with us! Have a fabulous weekend!

  • A Home Cook
    July 4, 2014 at 2:27 pm Reply

    Oh Jhuls, you know it’s almost Friday night here. The sun is just peeping over the top of the mountains. It’ll be dark within the hour. Are you allowed a ‘virtual’ feats, or would that just make you too hungry?

  • sarahgiebens
    July 4, 2014 at 12:18 pm Reply

    I loved the story, Jhuls 🙂 You are teaching me way more about Ramadan than my teachers did… :p
    I’m sorry for the loss of your mom 🙁

    The “wash and blend”, haha 😀
    These Blondies look devine!!! I’m definitely making these!

    • Jhuls
      July 5, 2014 at 2:13 am Reply

      Hmm, you have lessons about Ramadan? Wow! Good to hear that. 🙂

      Thank you, Sarah! It was a hard day, but at least I managed to smile when I did the “wash and blend”. 😀

      If you love cookies butter or biscoff spread, you’d definitely love these. I’d love to know how it turned out for you. 😉 Happy FF23!

      • sarahgiebens
        July 5, 2014 at 3:08 am Reply

        Well, not really about Ramadan but more about the basic rules a muslim follows… I don’t even know if that is a bit correct :s I wish we lerarend more about it in highschool though

        Oh I will definitely tell you the outcome when I make them! I think it may not even take me so long to make time for these yummy treats 😀

  • Lori
    July 4, 2014 at 8:06 am Reply

    That was a great story Jhuls! I love that…”wash and blend!” 😉 I am sorry about your hard day the other day…your mom obviously meant a lot to you! Thinking of you!
    These blondies you are bringing to FF look scrumptious! <3

    • Jhuls
      July 5, 2014 at 12:25 am Reply

      Thank you so much, Lori. I am glad you love these blondies and you are pleased with the story. I did miss my Mom so much, especially when I wanted to ask something about cooking. 🙁

      Happy FF to you and have a wonderful and messy weekend! 😉

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