Monday, February 7, 2011

Coconut Macadamia Blondies

I've been a blogging slacker this week but thanks to my good pal, Guestblogger Alita, I got a needed reprieve so that I can do some cooking and get back on schedule. I'm sure you'll all enjoy these delicious-sounding blondies. ---A Crafty Lass

In deciding what special treat I wanted to bake for my Valentine, I thought about his all time favorite cookie. I know he's not alone - you know the ones, those delicious Samoas that the cute little Girl Scouts so innocently sell us every year. I feel so good supporting them and teaching them about goals, making money and people skills (at least that is what one little girl told me - good sales pitch for a 8 year old, I thought!). In case the one person on earth who hasn't tried these cookies happens to be reading this today, the cookie is covered in caramel and coconut and of course drizzled with 5 perfect lines of chocolate. That purple box doesn't last long at our house - once you open it, you might as well not close it again!

Since my sweetie is not a big chocolate fan like me, I thought a cookie bar or blondie would be a good base, and after taking stock of my baking cabinet, I settled on a cross between the above mentioned Samoas and the always popular white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. So, I cooked up a recipe for Coconut Macadamia Nut Blondies. And, much like that purple box, this pan of bars did not last long!
  • 1 stick of butter, melted (8 tablespoons)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup white flour
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup coconut (heaping)
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
Preheat over to 350f. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the melted butter with the brown & white sugars. With a spoon, mix in the egg, vanilla and salt until combined. Slowly mix in the flours, coconut, white & chocolate chips and the macadamia nuts until blended.

Pour the batter into the lined pan and smooth the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, the center should still be a little soft. Let them cool a little on a wire rack before removing them from the pan. Slice into squares and present to your favorite valentine!

2 comments:

Lisa said...

Wow, those blondies look sensational, so chewy, dense, and packed with flavor in every bite. I have a sweet treat linky party going on at my blog called "Sweets for a Saturday (it will be open till Monday) and I'd like to invite you to stop by and link your blondies up. http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/2011/02/sweets-for-saturday-3.html

kickpleat said...

This looks perfect! I love coconut and macadamia nuts. Yum.