Apple blondies with walnuts and whiskey caramel are (1) rich; (2) decadent; (3) perfect for Fall; and (4) made in one bowl. ONE BOWL! Scroll down for the video.
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Apples = Fall Food
Apple Blondies? Yep, apple blondies. With walnuts. Maybe I’ve mentioned here a time or two that apples are pretty much a quintessential Fall food for me? One day recently I was struck with the need for a chewy, cinnamon-y bar cookie full of apples. Apple-walnut blondies. And they would be topped with caramel sauce. With salt. And whiskey. Definitely whiskey.
One Bowl Baking
It didn’t take me much digging to find a recipe that was perfect for adapting to make exactly what I needed. Yvonne Ruperti’s book One-Bowl Baking has a whole section devoted to bar cookies, which makes sense because what use is a bar cookie if it isn’t easy? Brownie, blondies, lemon squares, magic bars…they are perfect desserts because they come together quickly and don’t require rotating through cookie sheets over and over and over.
Whiskey Caramel
It took a little playing around to get the recipe right…turns out that when you throw a couple of apples into the batter it adds enough volume to require 15 or 20 more minutes of baking. No biggie, though. That just gives you a little extra time to stir together the caramel, which I promise you won’t want to omit. Though you can leave out the whiskey (I used Chattanooga Whiskey, by the way) if you must. And the salt, though I really have no idea why you would do that.
Moderation is Key
Another thing…if you bake these apple blondies in an 8×8 pan you will look at the pan and think to yourself, “Maybe I should just cut nine squares.” Don’t do it. If you do, you will end up with a stomach ache. No one really ever thinks of fruity desserts as rich, but this one, full of butter and white sugar and brown sugar, is, especially when accompanied by homemade caramel and some ice cream (not pictured…it really doesn’t need ice cream at all).
After the 9-bar debacle, I made these again and took them to work, this time cut into 32 pieces. I came home with 4 pieces. I’d call that success. I didn’t share my caramel, because I wanted to hoard it in my fridge for dipping apples and pear slices and spoons into. And that’s exactly what I did.
Apple blondies with walnuts and whiskey caramel are perfect for a get-together or just a fun snack or dessert for your family!
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Shared on Meal Plan Monday on Southern Plate!
Mary
Yield: 9-16 blondies
The blondies are adapted from the book One-Bowl Baking by Yvonne Ruperti. The caramel is adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction .
15 minPrep Time:
40 minCook Time:
55 minTotal Time:
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons ((90 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons whiskey (I used Chattanooga Whiskey)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 13 tablespoons (185 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 2/3 cup (330 grams) packed brown sugar, light or dark
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cup (245 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (I used MacIntosh)
- 3/4 cup (85 grams) walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
Instructions
- For the caramel: using a wooden spoon, stir the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat until melted and light golden in color. Be sure to stir constantly and don’t let it burn! Add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, stirring each until melted before adding the next. Be careful as the sugar will bubble when add the butter and boiling sugar is essentially the same as boiling hot lava. Once all the butter is melted, add the heavy cream and, with the heat turned off, the whiskey. Turn the heat back on and boil for one minute, continuing to stir constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt. Allow to cool until no longer molten before serving.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Liberally butter an 8-inch square baking pan.
- In a large bowl, use a sturdy spoon to stir together the butter, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla until well combined and smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and stir until completely combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir until well combined. Fold in the apples and walnuts.
- Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pan then cut into 9 or 16 pieces. Serve with warm caramel.
Print the recipe for apple-walnut blondies!
