Tag: almond blondies

Almond Croissant Blondies (aka Frangipane Blondies)

almondcroissantblondiesCroissants aren’t really my thing, to bake or to eat. If I do eat one, I want an almond one filled with frangipane. So what is frangipane, you ask? It’s an almond paste commonly found in pastries and tarts, like the Bakewell tart from England. In this case, an almond blondie base gets a layer of frangipane on top of it, then a layer of sliced almonds on top of that, not unlike the almond croissants you can find at bakeries and your local Starbucks.

What I know is this: these treats are absolutely delicious. They remind me very much of the croissant version, and I definitely want to make them again. I found this recipe at Lifestyle of a Foodie, and it absolutely did not disappoint.

Ingredients

For the blondie layer

  • 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 egg, at room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/3 cup almond flour

For the frangipane layer

  • 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon orange zest, optional
  • 2/3 cup almond flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds, for topping

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 baking tin with parchment paper.

Make the blondie layer: In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well, then add in almond and vanilla extracts and beat to combine. Add salt, flour, baking powder, and almond flour and beat to completely combine. Spread batter into the prepared tin.

Make the frangipane layer: In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk and beat to combine, then add vanilla extract, almond extract, and orange zest and beat well. Beat in almond flour and salt to make a smooth paste.

Spread frangipane over the blondie layer, then top with sliced almonds. Bake for 30-34 minutes, until edges are golden and center is just set. Allow to cool in the pan for about 25 minutes, then remove from the pan by lifting the parchment and cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares; makes 16.

Frosted Lemon Almond Blondies

Recipe adaptation continues! These frosted lemon almond blondies use the base from my Scandinavian blondies, but omit the sliced almonds on top in favor of a delicious lemon almond buttercream.

I know, you’re thinking, buttercream on a blondie? But seriously, it works. These treats have an almost cake-like texture, rather than the more cookie-like blondie. Next time, I’ll toast some sliced almonds – or perhaps toss them with some water and sugar to caramelize them a bit –  and add them on top of the frosting. Lemon and almond are two of my favorite flavors on their own, but when you combine them in these treats, they are absolutely dynamite.

Ingredients

For the bars

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
  • zest of 1 medium lemon
  • 8 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 cup flour

For the frosting

  • 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 1 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
  • 2 teaspoons milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 x 8 square baking pan.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs until light colored and thick. Add sugar and salt, continuing to beat until shiny and pale yellow.

Add extracts, zest, melted butter, and 1/2 cup of the flour, folding in gently. Fold in remaining 1/2 cup of flour.

Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading with a spatula to create an even top.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and are a very light golden color. Remove from oven and cool in pan before frosting.

To make frosting, place butter in a mixer and beat for 2 minutes, until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat on low, then medium speed, until all the sugar is incorporated into the butter; this will take several minutes, and you’ll want to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times. Add extracts and milk, beating for 2-3 minutes until smooth and spreadable. Frost bars, then cut into squares. Store at room temperature for 3-4 days. Makes 16.

Preparation

Scandinavian Blondies

scandanavian-blondiesMike gave me the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion for my birthday. Next to Boarman, the stone pig that my mom gave me last Christmas for our backyard, it’s my favorite gift I’ve ever gotten.

The Cookie Companion is a cookie baker’s bible, featuring variations on essentials from sugar cookies to bars and everything in between. I can honestly say that I intend to bake each recipe in its 400+ pages; with each one I read, I learn something new that I cannot wait to try.

These bars are adapted from the original King Arthur Flour recipe; I added lemon extract and lemon zest to the batter. They are delicious, both cakey and chewy, with a wonderful lemon almond flavor. If you’re not a lemon fan, you can skip the lemon altogether and just go with the traditional almond extract in the batter, or use a combination of almond and vanilla extracts.

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
  • zest of 1 medium lemon
  • 8 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 x 8 square baking pan.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs until light colored and thick. Add sugar and salt, continuing to beat until shiny and pale yellow.

Add extracts, zest, melted butter, and 1/2 cup of the flour, folding in gently. Fold in remaining 1/2 cup of flour.

Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and are a very light golden color.

Remove from oven and cool in pan before cutting. Store at room temperature.

Makes 16 bars.