Apple Blondies with Brown Butter and Flaky Sea Salt
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 24 blondies
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 24 servings
- Calories
- 232
- Total Fat
- 9
- Saturated Fat
- 5
- Carbohydrates
- 36
- Dietary Fiber
- 1
- Sugar
- 23
- Protein
- 2
- Cholesterol
- 36
- Sodium
- 149
- Total: 2 hr (includes cooling time)
- Active: 25 min
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1 medium sweet-tart apple, such as Granny Smith or Pink Lady, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Kosher salt
3 cups flour (see Cook's Note)
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Flaky sea salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper, letting the paper hang over the sides by a couple inches. (This will help you easily lift the blondies out of the pan.) Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook until the butter is golden-brown and smells nutty, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour into a heatproof bowl or liquid measuring cup to cool.
- Put the apple in the same saucepan (don't get rid of those residual buttery bits, they'll add some nice flavor to the apples) along with 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook over medium heat until the apples have softened and the sugar has caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the remaining 2 cups brown sugar, the flour, lime zest, baking powder, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, remaining1/4 teaspoon ginger, the baking powder, nutmeg and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk to combine. Whisk the eggs, lime juice and vanilla into the browned butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in the apples.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly to the sides of the pan. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Cool the blondies completely in the pan. Use the parchment to lift the blondies out of the pan. Peel away the parchment. To slice, cut the blondies in half widthwise and then cut each half into thirds; you'll have 6 strips. Cut each strip into 4 squares. Enjoy!
Cook’s Note
Swap out the apples for cranberries, pears or other fruits of your choice. These blondies keep for up to a week covered and stored at room temperature. When measuring flour, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry bake goods.)