Blondies

Prep Time:  15 minutes            Baking Time:  25-30 minutes
Yield:  16 squares

Ingredients:

115 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
315 g (1  1/2 cup hard-packed) dark brown sugar

1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 tablespoon (15 mL) pure vanilla extract

170 g (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) salt

1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped toasted pecans

Frosting (recipe follows)
Garnish:  Candied Pecans (recipe follows)

Method:

1. Prepare a 9 x 9 baking pan by lining it with some parchment paper.  Lightly spray paper with a cooking spray.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low-medium heat.  When melted, add brown sugar.  Stir to fully incorporate, and heat until just starting to bubble.  Remove from heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
3.  While mixture is cooling, preheat oven to 325⁰F (165⁰C).
4.  When mixture has cooled, add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla to the butter-sugar mixture.  Stir well, ensuring the ingredients are well incorporated.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the flour and salt.  Add to the butter-sugar-egg mixture;  Stir well.  Stir in chopped pecans.
6.  Pour into the prepared pan;  Bake for 25-30 minutes.
7.  Cool completely before frosting.   Garnish with Candied Pecans if you wish.

Frosting

1/4 cup (60 mL) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (125 mL) hard-packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons (45 mL) heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon (1.5 mL) salt

2 teaspoons (10 mL) pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 – 2 cups confectioner’s sugar

Melt butter in a small saucepan.  Add sugar and stir until mixture comes to a ‘low bubble’.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Gradually add the cream and salt and stir until the mixture comes back to a boil.  Remove from heat and cool completely.  When cool, stir in vanilla.  Gradually beat in enough confectioner’s sugar until thick and of spreading consistency (start with 1 cup and gradually add more as needed).  Spread over cooled Blondies and sprinkle with some Candied Pecans.

Candied Pecans

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter, 1/2 cup of chopped pecans, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.  Heat and stir constantly as the sugar starts to melt.  …about 5 minutes.  Watch carefully as it can easily burn.  Remove from heat;  place on a piece of parchment paper and separate the pieces before they start to cool.  Let cool completely and give it a rough chop, and sprinkle over top.

Questions and comments are always welcome     alex@chilipeppersandpears.com ^[1]