you are my sunshine – butterscotch-banana blondies

Butterscotch-Banana Blondies

yield: Sixteen 2-inch squares

Ingredients

10 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter
1-1/4 cups (6-1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (8 ounces) packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup (1-3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup (1-3/4 ounces)  granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup mashed very ripe banana (1 medium banana)

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350℉. Butter a 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; butter and flour parchment paper.

2. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the butter until it turns golden brown, about 5-8 minutes; remove from heat, and let cool. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl, set aside.

3. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine brown butter and both sugars; beat on low speed until combined, 1 minute. Add egg and egg yolk, beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla, and beat to combine. Reduce speed to medium-low and add flour mixture, beat until thoroughly combined. Pour half the blondie batter into prepared pan and spread evenly with small off-set spatula. Pour remaining batter into a bowl, set aside.

4. Wipe bowl of stand mixer clean, add cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar, butter, flour, cornstarch and vanilla to clean bowl. Beat on medium speed until combined. Add mashed banana and continue to beat until mixture is smooth and fully combined.

5. Pour half of banana mixture on top of blondie batter in prepared pan and spread evenly. Pour remaining blondie batter on top; add dollops of remaining banana mixture, about 1-inch apart. Gently swirl banana mixture into blondie batter with a knife, off-set spatula or chopstick to make desire pattern.

6. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs but not wet, about 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before turning out of pan onto a cutting board. Peel off parchment paper; cut blondies into 2-inch squares. Blondies can be stored between layers of parchments, or in muffin cups, in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.