Raspberry White Chocolate Pistachio Blondies
Quarantine Blondies
Hands down, this was one of the simplest and yet most elegant and flavorful example of the oh-so-popular elevating of flavors and textures.
I’ve been obsessed with blondies since childhood…I knew them as pan cookies, bar cookies, or sheet cookies, the taste of chocolate chip cookies in the form of rectangular bars. Before I got a chance to re-create the default setting of blondies, I began to notice different flavors, substitutions being tossed around by chefs and bakers alike.
Elevator to the Top
I knew I wanted to use white chocolate chips for a cleaner, ultra-sweet version. Then, I knew the fruit element had to be raspberry, as it pairs ridiculously well with white chocolate and the soft texture and tart berry flavor would bring blondies into adulthood. Lastly, instead of pecans or walnuts or typical baking nuts, I chose pistachio. It is the divine nut that has spawned endless worldly desserts like baklava, kunefe, and everything one might order in a Greek or Turkish restaurant.
{My boyfriend and I joked on our first date at a Turkish restaurant in midtown Manhattan (where his Turkish father frequented) how the dessert choices consisted of “pistachio,” “pistachio,” and “oh yes, pistachio…”}
Creation Makers
These elevated additions/substitutions turned these blondies into a whole other being. Think of flavor combinations you love…think of typical additions to cookies/brownies like fruit flavors, nuts, the the type of chocolate. You could have easily done cherry, almond, and dark chocolate. The point here is, you can create new things from existing things yourself. Don’t fear the changing of baking recipes. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. But when it does, look out. The blondies are your canvas. Don’t be afraid to paint your masterpiece out of a childhood delicacy.
What else do you have to do right now?
Raspberry White Chocolate Pistachio Blondies
Equipment
- Combine the dry ingredients. Setaside.Preheat oven to 375 degrees andgrease/flour a 10 x 15 pan with high sides.Beat the butter, bothsugars, and vanilla until smooth.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 12 oz. package of white chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup chopped or whole raspberries
- 3/4 cup chopped pistachios
If making icing, use 1/3 cup confectioners sugar and 1/4 cup heavy cream.
Instructions
- Add each egg, one at a time, allowingthe batter to combine before adding the second egg.
- Lower the speed if using amixer, and beat in the dry ingredients gradually until incorporated.
- Add in the white chocolatechips, raspberries, and pistachios. Stir in by hand with a spoon,making sure the added elements are evenly incorporated.
- Drop batter into the pan andspread to level out. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Timescan vary, depending on the thickness of your sheet cookie and the size of yourpan. Make sure the toothpick test comes out clean and tidy.
- Let cool for 15 minutes, thenmove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- If making icing, whisk theconfectioners sugar with a few teaspoons of the heavy cream.Keep adding more of the heavy cream to loosen up until the icing is the properconsistency. You can drizzle or pipe over the bars when cooled.
Notes
- Make sure your butter is quite soft. It will allow for a smooth batter.
- You might want to use frozen raspberries (I didn’t.) They might stay put a bit better, or you just could leave them whole since they have a tendency to disappear a bit.
- The icing is not required. The bars are perfectly delicious without; the icing just adds that extra creamy texture, making the texture masterpiece complete.
