I have a love-hate relationship with blondies. I want to love them, but they never seem to hold up to their promise of being a butterscotch version of a brownie. The best brownies are soft and chewy; blondies, not matter how delicious they might look, always seem to be disappointingly dry and cookie-like. This week I decided I’ve had enough and set out to create a blondie recipe that actually has the texture of a chocolate brownie. And to make thing more difficult, I wanted to make them with whole wheat flour.
You guys, I did it! These brown butter banana blondies full of rich, butterscotch-y flavor, with toasted notes from browned butter and just a hint of banana and they’re every bit as fudgey and chewy as the best box-mix brownies. They even have that thin, crackly top layer that the best brownies have! Total success.
Your kitchen will smell a-mazing while these bake. The timer will go off just when the scent is almost unbearable… then you’ll have to wait for them to cool. It’s kind of a huge tease, but it’s well worth it.
I can’t keep my hands off of these, so it’s a good thing that half the batch is headed off to Roxana from Roxana’s Home Baking as part of this month’s Leftovers Club exchange. I met Roxana earlier this month and she’s super nice. She’s also an expert baker and took home first prize in the Amazing Apps recipe contest at Eat, Write, Retreat! I hope she likes these blondies as much as I do!
Brown Butter Banana Blondies
Author: Lauren Keating
Serves: 16
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1-1/2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ cup pus 2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
- ½ cup bread flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 banana, mashed
- ¼ cup toffee baking chips (optional)
- Heat oven to 350*F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch square pan with buttered parchment.
- Add the butter to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Melt the butter, then cook an additional minute or two, stirring constantly, until it becomes golden brown and smells caramely and slightly nutty. Remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar. The sugar will melt and combine with the butter to form a thick, soft mass that feels a little like a tootsie roll. Let cool.
- Stir the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla into the cooled sugar. At the point, the batter will be thin and smooth. Add the flours, stirring until just blended. Fold in the mashed banana and toffee chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 25-35 minutes, or until the center is slightly springy and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let blondies cool completely before slicing and removing from the pan.
Calories: 138 Fat: 5.5 Carbohydrates: 21.6 Fiber: 0.7 Protein: 1.5
3.2.1753
Be sure to check out all of the other Leftovers Club recipes!