Again...this week I am spicing up a recipe right from the back of a pre-packaged product.  As surprising as it may be, the recipes that companies put on the back of their packaging are actually quite good.  Today, I decided to feature the M & M Rainbow Blondies recipe which is found on their 12 oz mini baking bits package.  The great thing about these recipes is that with a few minor alterations, you can make just about any type of blondie you want.  I almost forgot that some of you may not know what a blondie is.  In the simplest sense...it is just a brownie without the cocoa.  Let's get down to the basics:

Ingredients:

• 1 C (2 sticks) butter or margerine
• 1 1/2 C firmly packed light brown sugar (My Recommendation: Use 1 C of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp. of molasses)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (My Recommendation: Use 1 1/2 tsp. for more flavor)
• 2 C All purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 12-oz (1 3/4 C) M & M baking bits

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  I recommend substituting the 1/2 C of granulated sugar and ~2 Tbsp of molasses to taste.  This way you can make it sweeter / less sweet depending on your personal tastes.  Remember, sugar and molasses mixed gives you brown sugar.  So if you are out completely, you can always make your own!  Remember, when creaming, you want your butter to be semi-soft.  I usually recommend microwaving refrigerated butter for about 30-45 secs to reach the right consistency.
3. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.  Again, feel free to adjust the vanilla to your own personal tastes.  I personally like a little extra on the vanilla and a little less on the brown sugar.
4. Sift or otherwise mix baking soda and flour together.  Remember that your baking soda acts as a slight leavening agent, so make sure it is evenly dispersed throughout the flour.  Otherwise you'll end up with very dense blondies which rise uneven.
5. Once your flour and baking soda are mixed, turn your mixer down to low and slowly add it into the sugar / butter mixture.
6. When your flour is fully integrated, mix for another 30 seconds and get your mix-ins ready to pour in.  Give the M&M's a whirl first.  They do make a very tasty dessert.  However, once you grow bored with M&Ms try dark chocolate chips and dried cranberries for a more mature taste.  For the real sweet tooth, try using butterscotch chips or perhaps crushed butterfinger or heath bar.  Another great choice is crushed oreos.
7. Don't be worried when you see it.  This dough is going to be extremely thick.  There is nothing wrong...you're doing great if it came out stiff.
8. Turn off your mixer and get your pan prepped.  The original recipe calls for a 13x9 baking pan, but I find that this makes harder "crispier" blondies.  I prefer to have fudgier blondies, so I went with an 8x8 pan.
9. No matter what pan size you choose, cut a square (or rectangle) of parchment.  Spray a non-stick cooking spray on the pan, then place the parchment in the bottom.  The non-stick cooking spray will help to hold the parchment flat and allow you to spread the brownie dough around the pan a little easier.
10. After you get the dough evenly spread in the pan, place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes.  You may be asking, "Why the large range?"  Well, if you go with a 13x9 baking pan, your cook time will be about 32ish minutes, depending on both altitude and your oven.  Since I used an 8x8 pan, my blondies were twice as thick, so I cooked a little longer.
11. If you find that your blondies don't seem quite done on the inside, but the outside is getting golden brown, try taking them out of the oven for a few minutes to cool, lower the temperature of the oven and place in for another 3-5 minutes.  Another technique is to just turn off the oven about 5 minutes before baking is complete and just leave them in the cooling oven for 10 minutes or so.  These techniques are hit or miss though.  I took the blondies out probably 2-3 times to check on them during the last 5-7 minutes of cooking, so the cook time is definitely approximate.
12. Once you have them out of the oven, let them cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes.  The blondies will shrink away from the edges of the pan, making them even easier to get out of the pan.  I recommend placing a wire rack over the pan and inverting the blondies upside down onto the rack.  Let them continue to cool.  Don't bother taking the parchment off the bottom either...this comes in handy to keep your blondies from sticking to the plate you use.
13. After completely cooling, place a flat cookie sheet over the wire rack and invert the blondies again.  This allows you to cut the cookies on a nice flat surface without holes in it.
14. Once cut, use two large spatulas to transfer the cookies (still on the parchment) onto your serving dish.  At first it might sound like a lot of steps to plate them, but this method allows you to easily get the blondies out of the pan, cut them cleanly and then serve them without losing the shape you baked them in.

No matter how you choose to personalize this recipe, I guarantee these blondies will be a hit and a nice break from traditional brownies!