Wednesday, February 12, 2014

marcona almond + chocolate chip blondies


Oh my dear, these were so delicious. Blondies are always a favorite, and you can never go wrong adding chocolate chips to anything, but it's the Marcona almonds that really send these over the edge. These creamy, salty little guys are absolute perfection, and I can't believe I've never thought of baking with them before?! That's going to change from here on out though. My baking future is bright.

I sent these to lovely Joanne for The Leftovers Club this month, and I hope she enjoyed them as much as we did! This was my first time participating in the club in months, and it was so much fun to be back!

Marcona Almond and Chocolate Chip Blondies (from Food and Wine via Joy the Baker)
makes 9 blondies

you'll need:
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter
1 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup almond butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup marcona almonds
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat until golden brown. Remove from heat and transfer the melted butter to a large bowl. Cool completely before proceeding.

Add the sugar, eggs and yolk, almond butter, vanila, salt, and cinnamon to the bowl with the butter. Whisk until completely smooth. Add the flour and baking powder and stir until just combined. Fold in 3/4 cup of the almonds and 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips.

Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Top with the remaining almonds and chocolate chips. Bake for 30-40 minutes*, until cooked through and golden brown. Insert a toothpick into the center to test the doneness. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. Slice into squares, and enjoy!

*A note about the baking time: The original recipe calls for baking time of 25-30 minutes, but mine took much longer, about 40 minutes. I would just check on the blondies starting at 25 minutes and use your judgment/keep testing until they are done to your liking. They will taste delicious no matter what!




26 comments:

  1. Love the idea of using marcona almonds, Marie! Joanne is one lucky recipient. : )

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    1. Thanks, Monica! I love them so much for snacking, it's crazy that I never thought to bake with them before!

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  2. Oh man, these look sooooo good! I am a big fan of Marcona Almonds. What a great way to use them!

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  3. These look great! I wish I had more eggs in the house!

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    1. Thanks, Sophia! You'll have to try them when you do :)

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  4. I've never heard of marcona almonds. Obviously I need to check them out!

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    1. You'll love them!! They are one of those things I really can't keep around the house because I just snack on them constantly!

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  5. Honestly, I like blondies even better than brownies. Love that you added nuts to them - yum!

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  6. I am drooling over these! They look amazing!

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  7. That soft, gooey middle blondie is calling my name! These look incredible, Marie!

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  8. Chocolate and almonds are my best friends.. :) Especially in something as gorgeous as this! Looks divine!!

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    1. Thanks so much, Maria! Really can't go wrong wih those ingredients!!

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  9. I love blondies!! I prefer them to pretty much all other desserts! :)

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  10. These look absolutely gorgeous, your partner this month is lucky!

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  11. Almonds and chocolate -- you really can't go wrong! They're so pretty, and I'm sure they taste delicious.

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    1. You're so right - all these ingredients together has to be delicious! Thanks Meg! :)

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  12. So, these were basically the BEST EVER. I won't tell you how quickly we devoured them because it's vaguely embarrassing. But so good.

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