Continuing into the baking season today, I’m giving you another hit of maple with these pretty blondies. These are absolutely your next favorite- blondies are heavily underrated if you ask me. Not only are they super easy to throw together, but they’ve got that amazing texture that we always associate with brownies.
BUT, they don’t have the chocolate base. And listen, I love brownies. If there is one recipe I make the very most from my cookbook, it’s the Classic Brownie recipe.
There’s two main reasons to love them though, aside from the chocolate. First is the texture- that cross between fudge and cake is pretty irresistible. And second, that interesting papery top layer. It’s so good for some reason, right?
So blondies. Same thing, minus the chocolate. Not entirely though in this case- we’re adding in dark chocolate chunks as well as walnuts and maple extract. It’s a solid combo you guys. We’re also making an icing with the maple extract to take that flavor home.
These particularly blondies were a request from one of my friends- she’s a huge fan of a fairly similar dish from a popular restaurant, and I was aiming to replicate those flavors! I think we have a winner.
And speaking of maple extract- no you can’t sub out real maple syrup. Of course, maple syrup is a great ingredient, but this just isn’t the right place for it. We need to get that maple flavor across strongly, without messing up the texture we’re striving for here, so go for the extract this time around!
These are best served warm and with a scoop of ice cream alongside it. They are rich and soft and gooey, and they really give you those warm fall feels guys. Enjoy!
Maple Walnut Blondies
Ingredients
For the bars:
- 1 cup melted butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. maple extract
- 2 3/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
For the icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp. maple extract
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1-3 tbs. water
Instructions
For the bars:
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and generously grease a 9x13 inch pan. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and regular sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and maple extract until the mixture is smooth. Add the flour and salt to the mixture, and stir until combined. Gently stir in the chocolate chunks and walnuts, working quickly because the batter will be starting to thicken as the butter comes back to room temperature.
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Spread evenly in your prepared pan. Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserting about 2 inches from the edge of the pan comes out clean. Cool for 15-20 minutes before icing.
For the icing:
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With a whisk, stir all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Add more water to reach a consistency you can drizzle. Generously drizzle over the bars. Enjoy!
Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!
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