Blondies

Chocolate Shortbread Blondies with Coconut Topping

So, you’ve been invited to a Labor Day barbecue this weekend. That’s so nice. And the hostess asked if you would bring dessert, but you’re a little baffled right now because you can’t come up with something that’s sorta easy to make but tastes really good, huh? Well, Mama has a suggestion that you might like. It involves all the things I hold dear in life, which is chocolate, brown sugar, coconut and salted nuts. Yes I know, all rolled up into one!

I just can’t get enough of these Blondie Bars, each layer of these bars is delish on their own. You’ve got your chocolate shortbread crust, your creamy sweet Blondie layer, and then it’s all topped off by a chewy coconut macaroon topping. Now how good does this sound?

Your going to line your pan with foil so that when the Blondie’s have finished cooling in the pan, you can lift them out using the edges of the foil so that you can cut them into professional looking bars. To get extra clean cuts, I chilled mine for about 4 hours before cutting.

Chocolate Shortbread Blondies with Coconut Topping

Blondies

From Better Homes & Gardens 

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 2/3 cups unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup salted cashews, roughly chopped

Coconut Topping

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
• 3 lightly beaten egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

The Crust:  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13″ x 9″ baking dish with foil that’s been sprayed with cooking spray, having the edges extend over the sides about 2 inches so that you’ll be able to lift the finished bars easily from the pan. Whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the flour, the sugar and the cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Using your thumbs and forefinger, cut in 1 cup of the butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Then mix in the mini chips. Press the mixture evenly into the foil-lined baking dish and bake for 8 minutes until set.

Coconut Topping: Whisk the 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 flour together in a medium bowl.  Add the 1 1/4 cups of flaked coconut and toss with your hands coating the coconut with the flour/sugar mixture. Stir in the egg whites and the vanilla until everything is incorporated. Then set aside.

Next, in a medium saucepan, add the brown sugar and 2/3 cup of butter, and over medium heat, stir until the mixture is melted and smooth. Cool slightly.  Add the eggs one a a time stirring with a wooden spoon after each addition until combined. Stir in the vanilla. Stir in the remaining 2 cups of flour, the baking power and baking soda. Stir in the nuts. Pour the batter over the crust using a small offset spatula to make it smooth and even. Spoon the coconut topping into small mounds on top of the batter, carefully spreading it to the edges of the pan. Bake for 32-34 minutes until topping starts to lightly brown. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

When cool, using the edges of the foil, lift the Blondies out of the pan and cut into bars.

Makes 24 – 2″ square bars

Chocolate Shortbread Blondies

Mama’s Tips:

I kept these bars in the fridge to chill and they took on the consistency of candy bars as opposed to a brownie bar. They were quite good.

You don’t necessarily have to cut these bars into 2″ squares, get creative. I cut some of them into 1″ x 3″ bars and others into 1″ squares for a bite-size party treat. To get a good, clean cut with your knife, make sure you chill these first. Use a ruler when measuring these out so all the bars are the same size.

Blondie Bars

Recipe: Easy