Happy National Dessert Day!
If there’s one food holiday that should be celebrated here at A Treat Life, I think this is it. And I have the most perfect recipe to go right along with the party. My Bourbon Brown Butter Pecan Apple Pie Blondies.
I’ll start this post off with the words of a friend who recently tried them….”One of the best things I’ve ever eaten.” I promise she wasn’t paid and had nothing to gain from buttering me up. (The bars were all gone.) Full disclosure, she’s one of my closest friends, but her opinions are always very honest. And not only did that comment warm me to the soul, but confirmed how I myself kind of felt about these. (I’m my own worst critic btw.) But these earn their praise.
These delights are absolutely, utterly, ridiculously scrumptious. Think apple pie meets goey blondie meets pecan pie meets every warm and cozy fall or winter moment you’ve experienced. My heart just skipped a beat thinking about them.
I’ve made various apple bars over the years. Always trying for a very specific taste and texture in mind, but never quite fully satisfied with the outcome. Well, those days are over. While I’ll still be fiddling around most of fall with apples for lots of different recipes, both sweet and savory, these bars have ended my quest for something even better and easier to make than an apple pie with all the same classic and comforting feels. Something that doesn’t require rolling a crust. And something that fills that cookie/ brownie-like-bite craving but is still so decadent and elegant it can be served for a pie-worthy dinner affair. Check. Check. And check.
Try these. Even if you don’t like apple pie. Try these.
Your Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert line-up or holiday cookie basket will shine like the stars with these as part of the mix.
So, let’s see what they’ve got going on….
- Apples caramelized in a little maple syrup and cinnamon.
- A perfect mixture of brown butter, spices, plus all the usual blondie ingredients like sugar, flour, eggs and a leavening agent that then gets folded with the caramelized apples and some chopped pecans, then topped with some more caramel apples and pecans and baked to perfection
- A finishing drizzle of a simple, yet perfect Maple Bourbon Glaze.
You too can make these and see for yourself what autumn apple heaven tastes like. You won’t regret it, you just might have a few admirers expecting you to make them on repeat every year. There’s worse things, right?
And please do let me know if you give them a whirl. I’d love to hear how it goes.
Have a wonderful national dessert day. I hope you’ll indulge in a sweet treat or two. You deserve it.
Bourbon Brown Butter Pecan Apple Pie Blondies
Ingredients
For the Caramelized Apples:
- 2 cups apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (2-3 medium apples)
- 2 tbsps maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
For the batter:
- 1 cup (8oz.) butter, melted & browned
- 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
- 3 lg eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups (384g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (80g) chopped pecans
For the Maple Bourbon Glaze:
- 1/4 cup maple sryup
- 3 tbsps butter, melted & slightly cooled
- 1/2 cup (50g) confectioner's sugar
- 2-3 tsps bourbon whiskey
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
For the Caramelized Apples:
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Add the apples to a large skillet with 2 teaspoons of water. Cover the pan and cook about 5 minutes until the apples are starting to soften. Remove the lid, add the maple syrup, cinnamon and lemon juice and cook, stirring gently to make sure the apples are evenly coated, about 2-3 minutes, until they start to caramelize a bit. Remove from the heat and pour onto a plate or bowl to cool until needed.
For the batter:
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Preheat the oven to 350F/ 177C. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with baking spray and line it with parchment paper going up the sides for easier removal.
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Start by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once melted, it will start to foam, then it will start to brown. Continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally — until the butter solids at the bottom all turn nice and brown and it starts to take on a wonderful nutty aroma. This will take about 10 minutes total. Pour the brown butter into a large mixing bowl soon as you have the desired color. (Don't leave in the pan or the butter will continue to brown too much.)
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Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg to the bowl and whisk just until combined.
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Then add the eggs and the vanilla and stir to combine.
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Then add the flour, switch to a spatula and begin to fold the flour in. When some flour streaks still remain, add 1/2 of the carameized apples and 1/2 of the chopped pecans and fold until everything is just combined. (It's really important not to over-mix at this point.) Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Then sprinkle the rest of the caramelized apples and pecans all over the top.
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Bake the bars in the preheated oven for for about 45 minutes until golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
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Set the pan on a wire rack to cool while you make the glaze.
For the Maple Bourbon Glaze:
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In a small bowl combine the ingredients for the glaze. Whisk until smooth. If it seems to runny you can add a little more powdered sugar if needed. Let cool slightly while stirring occasionally.
To finish:
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Drizzle the glaze on top of the slightly warm or cooled blondies. (If they are too hot, the glaze will just melt into them. Not an awful thing but you won't see it, or get the texture contrast.)
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Remove the blondies from the pan by carefully lifting them up with the parchment paper sides. Then cut into squares. Enjoy!
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Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Recipe Notes
*I like to use a tart baking apple such as a Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold or Empire for these.
