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I Tried Brown Butter Maple Blondies and I’ll Be Making Them for the Rest of Fall

published about 1 hour ago

Credit: Justin Burke

I’m a firm believer that if you can substitute brown butter for plain butter in a recipe, then you should do it without hesitation. I adore the nutty flavor brown butter adds to recipes — especially baked goods. It makes an average dessert taste 10 times better.

So when I stumbled upon Grandbaby Cakes’ brown butter maple blondies on Instagram , I immediately bookmarked it. Aside from its name, the glistening, gooey amber blondies screamed “Make me now,” so I checked my pantry and confirmed I had all the ingredients. Here’s what happened when I joyfully baked my first fall recipe of the season.

How to Make Grandbaby Cakes’ Brown Butter Maple Blondies

You’ll start by browning butter and then set it aside to cool. Don’t let having this step sway you from not making this recipe — it’s a quick process and adds tons of flavor. While the butter is cooling, add light brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Once the butter has cooled, add it to the bowl and mix on medium speed until combined. Slow the mixer down and add flour, salt, and baking soda and mix until combined. Pour the batter into a 9×13-inch pan lined with parchment paper (I used a silicone baking mat because I ran out of parchment paper) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

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While the blondies bake, make the maple glaze. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt together butter and maple syrup. Once the butter melts, quickly whisk in powdered sugar and salt, mixing constantly until no lumps remain. Pour the glaze over the warm blondies and spread evenly. Allow it to set and cool before cutting into bars and serving.

Get the recipe: Brown Butter Maple Blondies

Credit: Justin Burke

My Honest Review

Jocelyn Delk Adams’ (aka Grandbaby Cakes) drool-worthy Instagram post did not deceive. These are gooey, sticky blondies that leave your fingertips covered in delicious maple glaze. The texture is sturdy but still soft and chewy. For a little crunch, I think I’ll add a cup of toasted walnuts to the batter next time.

Whether you have a sweet tooth or not, you’ll love these bars for their warm, earthy notes. Yes they’re sugary sweet, but there is something about the maple and brown butter that mellows the tooth-aching sweetness of the bars. I’ll be enjoying these bars regularly this fall — while I’m wrapped in flannel and sitting next to a fire pit with a coffee or hot toddy in hand. (And I hope you do, too.)

Credit: Justin Burke

4 Tips for Making Grandbaby Cakes’ Brown Butter Maple Blondies

1. Don’t burn the butter. Browning butter happens quickly, and if you’re not paying attention it can easily burn. While the butter is melting, occasionally give the pan a swirl to prevent it from burning. The butter will start to foam and quickly change color. Remove the butter from the heat once you see an even, toasted brown color and smell a nutty aroma.
2. Add walnuts for more texture. If you like texture in your blondies, I recommend adding a cup of toasted chopped walnuts to the batter.
3. Pour the glaze on warm blondies. Pouring the glaze over warm blondies will make spreading it evenly much easier. Plus, the warm blondies will soak up some of the glaze to give them a gooey, sticky consistency throughout.
4. Cut with a hot knife. Dip a knife in hot water or run under hot water before cutting into the blondies. The warm knife will help cut through the sticky blondies with ease, avoiding smashing the edges or tearing.

Justin Burke

Contributor

Justin Burke is a food writer, recipe developer, and award winning pastry chef and baker. His work includes kitchen culture and mental health, queer food, and American dessert history. Justin has contributed to many publications including Eater, Compound Butter, The Local Palate, Food & Wine, Garden & Gun, The FeedFeed, Bake from Scratch, Unpretentious Palate, and Dirty Linen. Justin lives in Columbia, SC with his partner and son.

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Source : food