I’d like to think I’m a pretty normal 24 year old girl. I go to school. I have some hobbies. I like to go out with my friends. I think puppies are cute. I drink too much wine on occasion. I like to cuddle. I overuse “lol” and “omg” on a daily basis. Yep, pretty normal.
But then I do some things that I’m not sure would be considered ‘normal’. Like, does a normal 24 year old plan out her cooking schedule at the beginning of each week? Or does your typical 24 year old like to go to Whole Foods just to walk around, drool over the bakery case, and stare at all of the bulk bins? And here’s my biggest question: does a normal 24 year old bring her debit card with her on her morning run so she can stop at the grocery store on her way home to get baking supplies? I’m gonna go with ‘no’ on that one.
When I heard Hershey’s Cinnamon Chips were back on the grocery store shelves for the holidays, I just couldn’t wait to get out and buy a bag (or three). Where there’s a will, there’s a way so I re-routed my morning run to include a stop at the nearest grocery store so I could do some weekday morning baking (again, normal?) before work.
I wasn’t sure what to do with them, so I turned to one of my favorite desserts: blondies. It’s no secret that I have a deep love for blondies (as clearly evidenced here: Peanut Butter M&M Blondies, White Chocolate Cranberry Orange Blondies, Butterfinger Blondies, Brown Butter Almond Toffee Blondies), so it seemed obvious to put the two together.
If you’ve ever wondered what chai tea would be like in the form of dessert, this is it. The bars have that chewy, buttery texture of blondies that I absolutely love but the the spices are much more complex than the typical cinnamon spice mix. I have the coriander and cardamom to thank for that. The cinnamon chips add a creaminess throughout the bars and I think they would be even better with some more cinnamon chips sprinkled on top before baking. This recipe is definitely a keeper. I’m so glad I’m not normal.
Chai Spiced Cinnamon Chip Blondies
makes 24 bars
2 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
Reminder: the first Merry Monday is coming up on December 6th! The theme is cranberries, so join in on the fun and cook or bake something yummy with cranberries! Please let myself or Claire know if you would like to participate by emailing us at taykad@gmail.com or claireamberson@gmail.com. Also feel free to email us with any questions. We can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with!
greensnchocolate
greensnchocolate
greensnchocolate
I think your far more fascinating than a fully “normal” 24 year old! I love that you described some of the things I do; drooling at cooking stores and planning baking schedules. Us Foodies gotta stick together! Fabulous recipe. Your preoccupation with baking pays off
I love chai tea, and I know I would love these! I’ve got to find those cinnamon chips…but I don’t think I’ll run for them..ha!
why be normal when you can be extraordinary?
Hmm, normal is beginning to sound kinda boring. Especially since it would mean that you wouldn’t have any of these incredibly gorgeous cinnamon blondies to munch on. I’ll bet normal is pretty jealous right now.
Haha these look amazing! I just love the cinnamon chips, I find whatever I add to them to ends up being delicious. And if it makes you feel better Im 28 and I may do some of the things you mention above and it may have been going on for quite some time.
see you are normal…
I ask myself questions like this all the time. I bring my big reusable grocery bag to my early morning long run practices so that I can hit up the farmer’s market and Whole Foods afterward. weird? Maybe. But key to my happiness.
These bars sound delicious! I can’t find cinnamon chips ANYWHERE so if I heard of them being sold anywhere near here, I’d be all over it.
no worries, you’re not the only non-normal 24-yr old. I can definitely relate!
You sound like a normal “foodie” 24 year old:) These blondies sound like a cup of tea in bar form!
LOL, I know exactly what you mean, only instead of Whole Foods it’s Trader Joes. Having something fun planned to bake when you get home from work is great.
Just bought a bag of cinnamon chips and I adore Chai tea. What a great combination. I will put these on my list.
Pretty normal to me..I secretly love Whole Foods too:)
mickey
I need to keep my eye out for the chips but I am loving the chai element to these.
These sound sooo divine-I love those cinnamon chips:)
Love the idea of adding the chia!! These sound delish!!
Love your writing – so fun! I also love that you aren’t a “normal” 24 year old – that would be boring.
I am participating in the Merry Mondays – can’t wait!
Susan http://www.ugogrrl.com
These look wonderful! And by the way, I’m the same way, would much rather browse a food store than the mall!
I love the idea of a spiced brownie! This looks amazing! Would it be overkill to have a brownie with a cup of chai tea?
Normal is boring anyways! I’m with you
GREAT blondies!!! yum!
I love finding a new cinnamon chip recipe. Thanks!
Ok. I just fell in love. I could live off of Chai Lattes so this is going to be in my cookie jar ALL the time…thanks!
Saw these on TK this morning…I just made Chai gingerbread bars and threw in cranberries and walnuts. I’m thinking I’ll make these without the cinnamon chips but with cranberries and walnuts and maybe some fresh ginger as well – i.e. combine bits of both recipes
!
I love cinnamon but am not fond of the flavored chips…