By Finn turned six on Wednesday. He requested a birthday dinner of his own choosing: hot dogs, which he specified must be grilled outside, corn on the cob, and a chocolate cake with blue frosting. None of this was negotiable. Finn at six has strong opinions about things that matter and an easy going nature about things that don't, which seems like a healthy arrangement.
Teddy made the cake. He baked the layers on Tuesday evening and frosted them on Wednesday morning, talking through each step with me as he went even though he didn't need the instruction anymore — he knew what to do. The frosting was blue, as specified. The cake was good. Better than good: it was a proper layer cake, even and well-frosted, the kind you'd be pleased to serve anyone. Finn put his face into his slice, which Teddy found mildly distressing and the rest of us found accurate.
After dinner we sat outside until dark — the six of us, Carol included — and Jim played guitar, which I didn't know he played. He played three songs, badly, with real enthusiasm, and Finn danced in the grass in the dark. That image I'm going to have for a long time. A six-year-old dancing in grass on a Vermont summer night because his father was playing guitar badly. The perfect conditions for an ordinary extraordinary evening.
Carol drove back to Stowe the next morning. She hugged me goodbye in the driveway and said: thank you. I said: it's your house too. She said: I know. And she did.
Teddy’s layer cake was a genuine accomplishment — even-frosted, properly blue, exactly what Finn ordered — and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. But I’ve been thinking about the rest of us since that evening: the ones who sat outside in the dark listening to Jim play guitar badly and watching a six-year-old dance in the grass. That kind of night deserves its own recipe, something looser and more forgiving than a proper layer cake, something you can throw together the afternoon of without negotiating with a piping bag. These blondies — banana-rich, swirled with Nutella and peanut butter and jam — hit every note Finn’s birthday asked for: chocolate, a little festive chaos, and not a single thing to fuss over.
Peanut Butter and Jam Nutella Banana Blondies
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 16 bars
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/3 cup Nutella
- 1/4 cup strawberry or raspberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare. Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy lifting. Lightly grease any exposed pan surfaces.
- Mix the base. In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, peanut butter, melted butter, and brown sugar until smooth and well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk again until fully incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients. Sprinkle the flour, baking powder, and salt over the wet mixture. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined — stop as soon as no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
- Transfer and swirl. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Drop spoonfuls of Nutella and jam across the surface. Use a butter knife or skewer to swirl them through the top of the batter in loose figure-eight motions.
- Bake. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. The center should not look wet or jiggly.
- Cool and cut. Let the pan cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before lifting out by the parchment and cutting into 16 squares. They firm up as they cool — if you can wait 30 minutes, they’re even better.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 185 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 24g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 95mg