I am still pretty caught up in fall – in getting everything put up, and in enjoying stuff like winter squash and apples.
But fall also means that citrus starts showing up in the stores more, and for better prices, which got me thinking about making these Macadamia Lime Blondies again – and this time, shooting a few photos and getting the post out here on the blog. I think you will be glad.
Not only do these blondies have lots of bright lime flavor, but there are also crunchy, buttery macadamias and chewy coconut. Oh yeah – and a lovely white chocolate ganache and a few sprinklin’s on top. It’s like a visit to the tropics here in the middle of October. Which would not be a bad idea at all, but this way is much cheaper, and I can still finish up getting the tomatoes canned.
By October, tomatoes have become the bane of my existence, even though I know I will be very glad to have them in January. Right now, I am tired of dealing with them. With a well developed sense of self-preservation, Larry has been sneaking them into the kitchen when I am in the shower or up getting the mail.
You will also notice that I used unsalted butter in these. Up till now, I have only rarely used unsalted better in recipes, because I didn’t like the idea of having to keep two kinds of butter around, but I finally decided to make the switch. Using unsalted helps control the salt level in recipes more, and I think the flavor is better in unsalted when it comes to baking. You can, of course, still use what you have on hand [so long as it is actually IS butter, of course – margarine is not a good idea at all], but you may want to reduce the salt just a bit.
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- the grated zest of 1 large or 2 small limes
- ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
- ¾ cup chopped, roasted, salted macadamia nuts
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon half and half or heavy cream
- about one tablespoon each, toasted coconut and chopped macadamias
- ¼ teaspoon more lime zest
- a big pinch of coarse sea salt, like Maldon
- Preheat the oven to 350º and generously butter an 8 inch square pan. I like to also line it with parchment paper and butter that as well, but it's up to you. I don't like to take any chances.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the melted butter and brown sugar. No need for a mixer - just use a wooden spoon or a spatula.
- Next, beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Then, mix in the lime zest, coconut and macadamias.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground ginger.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture - you will have a pretty stiff dough.
- Scrape all of the dough into the prepared pan, and with dampened hands, pat it out evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes - a toothpick inserted near the center should be entirely free of batter or crumbs, and the top will be very nicely browned.
- Cool for 10 minutes or so, and remove from the pan, preferably in a big, single piece [this is where the parchment comes in really handy]
- Finish cooling completely.
- Put the chopped chocolate and the half and half in a small bowl, and heat on low in the microwave for a minute or so. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth - return to the microwave for a few seconds if you need to. Cool for about 10 minutes.
- Stir the chocolate mixture again, and spread evenly over the top of the blondies.
- Then, sprinkle on the coconut, nuts, lime zest and salt - any or all of them.
- Cut into 9 squares - wrap leftovers tightly. They will keep at room temperature for about a week.
I’m not going to lie to you here – these things are utterly irresistible. Over the top delicious. Try not to hide them to keep all for yourself – you can always make more, right?
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