THE “WHEN –YOU- FORGET- YOU- DON’T- HAVE- COOKIE- SHEETS” BLUES

“I don't drown my sorrows; I suffocate them with chocolate.”  – Author Unknown


Hey All!

So, generally I am not one to make a dessert twice. In fact, I almost make it a point to not make a treat more than once because there is always another recipe out there calling my name. However, because I made this recipe during some non-blogging days, and since it turned out to be such a hit, I decided to break my own rules a little and make another batch of White Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Blondies for blogosphere purposes.

Quick side note: As I was writing that last sentence I discovered that while Blondies is not recognized as a word by Microsoft Word, blogosphere is…huh.

Anyway, these blondies actually came out of some serious grief one afternoon when I grabbed a bunch of ingredients to make white chocolate macadamia cookies, my favorite type of cookies, only to remember that I had lost my two cookie sheets during a very unfortunate “I-totally-forgot-I- had-granola-in-the-oven-when-I- was-on-the-phone” incident. Luckily, this recipe was easily modified to fit my 8X8 baking pan and were made even more awesome with addition of some sweetened shredded coconut I had lying around.

I like to bake these babies until they’re a little crispy and cut them into thin horizontal strips, rather than the usual blondie square shape. I do this because when they harden up, they’re kinda like a chewier version of biscotti. They don’t have that same crunch, but they hold up really nicely when dunked into something like coffee. Also, the base is brilliant for any additional add-ins. With the coconut flavor, it adds a tropical vibe, which can open the door for something like lime zest. If white chocolate isn’t your thing, feel free to drop in milk chocolate chips and then drizzle the whole pan with caramel after they’ve cooled from the oven.

Another reason I baked these again is because I have two new favorite people to bake for. And they are my boyfriend’s parents. See, my boyfriend’s dad is an awesome cook. He smoked a whole turkey outside in their garage for Thanksgiving and it was the most scrumptious thing I’ve ever had. Also, he can have only two lettuce leaves and a tablespoon of blue cheese and somehow he’ll make an amazing side salad. And my boyfriend’s mom, while admittedly not a cook, is always there to sous chef and throw random ingredients at me that end up adding great additions to whatever dessert I’m making.  Anyway, the last few times I’ve gone to my boyfriend’s parents’ house for the holidays, etc, I’ve always baked something to take along, and now, even when I’m not going there, I feel the need to send something I’ve baked just to say continuous thank-you’s for the incredible meals and times I’ve spent there.

So, I felt that it was only right to bake a dessert that had been proven likeable by their son, and while baking, to capture each and every sweet moment in photos to share with you.

And, so, without any more typing from me…

WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA COCONUT (THOUGH THAT IS COMPLETELY OPTIONAL) BLONDIES!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter softened

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 cup white chocolate chips

½ cup macadamia nuts coarsely chopped

Dani got a fancy schmancy food processor!

½ cup shredded sweetened coconut

DIRECTIONS:

1.     Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Prepare a 9-inch square baking pan

2.     Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.

3.     In a large bowl, cream together sugar, butter and vanilla extract with a hand mixer on medium speed.

4.     Beat in egg.

5.     Beat in half of flour mixture. Once fully incorporated, beat in the other half.

6.     Gently fold in the white chocolate chips, nuts and coconut.

I use my hands for the job. I find it helps to get everything nicely mixed together. 

7.     Turn mixture into prepared pan, and press dough to fill the pan.

8.     Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

9.     Allow to cool within the pan for five minutes, before transferring pan to a cooling rack.

10.  Once blondies have cooled completely, cut them into bars.

CUT TO TASTING:

I feel like white chocolate and macadamia nuts are one of those rare pairings that are just awesome. Like, chocolate and raspberry, or peanut butter and jelly…or peanut butter and chocolate…really, just peanut butter and anything…but anyway, white chocolate and macadamia nuts are just awesome together. Seriously. Make these blondies and give them to a friend and watch them take a bite. I bet you that every single one will have the same reaction as the people I watched eat mine: their eyes will close and they’ll make this little “mmmmm” sound. Really. Try it. For some reason, these blondies will make even the most machismo of men turn into kittens. Which, I guess, isn’t always a bad thing…

Grown man turned into kitten...

Til next time,

D