Cashew Praline Blondies
I’m pretty sure I used to chant “Bring on the brownies” in my sleep. I loved melting down chocolate chips and stirring them into basic ingredients to yield this wonderfully dense and fudgy creation, always with something new and fun, I’d swirl into the top before baking.
When I finally discovered the vanilla version of the chocolate brownie, I started tinkering with the recipe.
Most blondie recipes don’t have chocolate in them, but adding a small amount of white chocolate gives them the same density and texture as a luscious brownie.
Because blondies read a bit sweeter than their semisweet chocolate cousins, I swear by this quick cashew praline swirl-in.
It brings a nutty, toffee counterbalance of flavor and killer pop of microscopic texture from little shards of brittle entirely unassuming, then POW! A total knockout.
Cashew Praline Blondies Recipe:
Ingredients:
Cashew Praline
70g sugar ⅓ cup
48g unsalted roasted cashews ⅓ cup
1g kosher salt ¼ tsp
25g vegetable oil 1 T + 2 tsp
Blondie Base
113g unsalted butter 1 stick (8 T)
60g white chocolate chips ⅓ cup
100g sugar ½ cup
110g light brown sugar ½ cup (packed)
1 large egg
4g vanilla extract 1 tsp
115g flour ¾ cup + 1 T
4g kosher salt 1 tsp
Instructions:
Cashew Praline: Pan-spray a half-sheet pan. Make a dry caramel: In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, cook the sugar over medium-high heat.
As soon as the sugar starts to melt, use a heat-resistant spatula to move it constantly around the pan you want it all to melt and caramelize evenly to a gorgeous amber color.
Remove the pan from the heat and with a heat-resistant spatula, stir in the cashews, making sure all are coated in caramel.
Then swiftly dump the contents of the pan out onto the prepared half-sheet pan, spreading it as thin and even as possible. Let the brittle cool completely
Once cool, with a meat pounder or heavy rolling pin, break the brittle up into small pieces. Transfer the brittle to a food processor, add the salt and oil, and grind down until it has nearly liquefied but still has little shards of brittle.
Heat the oven to 325°F. Pan-spray an 8 × 8-inch square baking dish.
Blondie Base: In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and white chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second spurts, stirring after each, until smooth.
Mix in the sugar and brown sugar. Mix in the egg and vanilla and stir until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. Add the flour and salt, and mix just until combined.
Spread the blondie batter evenly across the surface of the greased baking dish.
Spoon the cashew praline in large dollops on the surface of the blondie mixture, then, with the tip of a butter knife, swirl the batter and praline into each other, leaving peeks and pops of both.
Bake at 325°F until the edges are golden brown and the bull’s-eye center is set 40 to 45 minutes.
Cool completely in the pan. Cut into 9 squares. Store in an airtight container or plastic wrapped on the counter for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
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