A&M's Testing Notes:
Expand Collapsenishis's Notes:
Expand16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter, melted Ask a question about this ingredient
2 cups light brown sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
2 eggs Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons vanilla Ask a question about this ingredient
1 1/2 cup almond flour (not to be confused with almond meal; Honeyville Farms makes my favorite) Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup coconut flour (Tropical Traditions brand is great) Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 teaspoon salt (or, if you're me, a half tsp) Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup dried cherries Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup dark chocolate, cut in to chunks Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted Ask a question about this ingredient
Preheat oven to 350 and line a 9x13 pan with parchment. Make sure your eggs are out of the fridge/not-too-cold. Start by melting your butter (microwave is fine, but browning it on the stove is even better if that's your thing). Let it sit off the heat to come to room temp while you do the following:
Ask a question about this stepPrep your mix-ins: Chop up your chocolate; toast your hazelnuts by heating them in a skillet until fragrant (5 minutes or so).
Ask a question about this stepNow mix your no-longer-hot butter and brown sugar vigorously with a whisk or spoon until evenly caramel-colored and smooth.
Ask a question about this stepAdd eggs one at a time, mixing them in thoroughly. Stir in vanilla.
Ask a question about this stepStir in both flours and the salt. I like to quickly blend the flours with eachother at the top of the bowl before mixing them in to the wet ingredients below. Overmixing isn't too much of an issue, but there's no reason to go overboard. Once combined, dump in the chocolate, cherries, and hazelnuts and fold in to the batter until evenly distributed.
Ask a question about this stepSpread your thick batter evenly into your prepared pan, tapping it against the counter to get out any air bubbles. Now in to the oven for 30-40 minutes (depending on your desired gooeyness factor).
Ask a question about this stepRemove from oven and cool in pan. I like to pop the pan in the fridge if I need to cut them neatly. Slice yourself a square and enjoy!
Ask a question about this stepI've made these dozen times or so--always a huge hit, even with gluten-eaters.
YUM. Just made these to take to a 4th of July picnic. I only had Bob's Redmill almond meal/flour, but can assure you that nobody will be disappointed. Thanks!
Nishis, congratulations for being a finalist. Your recipe is great and I'll definetely give it a try.
Ooh, I wish I could eat almonds. Love the idea of cherries in blondies. Yum! Congrats on being a finalist.
I can tell by looking at them they'll taste great! So far I've resorted to cheesecakes for my dessert cravings because so many of these types of desserts just don't cut it! I'm a gluten free fibromyalgia fitness motivator, this'll be a real treat when I splurge, thank you for sharing!
Thanks, guys!
Regarding flour sourcing--I really love Amazon for this because you can buy in bulk and they have good brand selection. I usually fill a jar's worth to keep in a cabinet and put the rest in the fridge.
Congratulations! Blondies are a favorite at my house, and I'm looking forward to making these.
Congrats, nishis. Wonderful to have such a great gluten-free blondie recipe.
Congratulations, nishis! I love blondies and your version looks really wonderful -- hazelnuts, cherries and chocolate, yum! I have almond flour in my pantry . . . just to need to source some coconut flour.
Congrats! Can you find these flours at Whole Foods, or do you order them online?
Congratulations! I love your use of coconut and almond flours.
Congratulations - I need to get my act together and make up some of these!
Congrats!
Brette is the Editorial Assistant of Food52.
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The ingredients for the blondies: egg, almond flour, vanilla, hazelnuts, dark chocolate, light brown sugar, butter, dried cherries, and coconut flour.
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Lining your pan with parchment is always a good idea when you're making bar cookies.
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First step: combining the melted butter and brown sugar. (Amanda's on vacation in Florida, but you'll see her again next week!)
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After a couple of minutes of vigorous whisking, the butter and sugar turn into a gorgeous caramel.
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Now for some egg ...
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And then two whole tablespoons of vanilla. (Any self-respecting blondie has lots of vanilla, right?)
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In go the almond and coconut flours, along with 1/2 teaspoon salt (nishis says you can use 1/4 teaspoon, but like her, we prefer the larger amount).
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Time to switch over to a wooden spoon.
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Toasted hazelnuts!
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We chopped ours up a little for even distribution.
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Folding in the nuts, chocolate chunks and dried cherries.
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Into the pan!
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There's Jennifer in the background!
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Time for a snack.
These are absolutely delicious. I made them with Bob's Redmill almond meal/flour like EvaR, but they turned out great. They are addictive, and such a nice normal-tasting gluten-free recipe.