baklava blondies
I don’t think this recipe needs much of an introduction - the title truly speaks for itself. But, in case you need any more *persuasion,* here I go. By toasting the nuts in brown butter, and incorporating that nutty-brown-butter into the batter with not one, but two types of brown sugar, you’re left with this deeply flavorful blondie, that has a gooey-center and caramelized-crisp bottom & edge. The adds of orange blossom water and cinnamon round the flavors out with that sweet and floral note. Did I use enough adjectives there? Anyways, make these blondies. You won’t regret it.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup walnuts (raw preferred)
1/2 pistachios (raw preferred)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. orange blossom water
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
TOOLS
medium saucepan
medium mixing bowl
rubber spatula & whisk
9x9 baking pan
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Roughly chop the 1/2 cup walnuts & 1/2 cup pistachios and set aside (pro-tip: save 1 tbsp. of the chopped nuts for topping later). Melt 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter in a medium sauce pan. Once the butter starts to bubble, add the chopped nuts and whisk constantly until butter is a caramel color & fragrant. Strain butter into a heat-proof mixing bowl, and set buttered nuts aside.
To the mixing bowl with butter, add 1 cup dark brown & 1 cup light brown sugar and mix together until the sugar is coated evenly with the butter. Add 2 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla extract & 1 tsp. orange blossom water and whisk until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, fold in 1 3/4 cup flour, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. baking powder & 1/2 tsp. salt until the dry ingredients are just incorporated, trying to avoid over mixing the batter. Fold in buttered nuts.
Add blondie batter to a greased 9x9 baking pan, flattening batter to ensure it is one even layer. Top with saved nuts, and bake in the middle rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until blondies are golden brown. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before digging in.
store: in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
diet: vegetarian
eat it with: vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of honey, & Turkish coffee.
