Cherry Almond Blondies
Oh my. Cherry Almond Blondies are the real deal! These delectable bar-type cookies will cure any sweet tooth craving. Both the batter and the icing uses browned butter so there’s a caramelized flavor that’s going on. The base includes fresh cherries, vanilla chips, bananas and almonds along with almond extract. They’re rich, decadent and so heavenly.
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I took a batch of these blondies and some Peach Cinnamon Blondies to a block party back in June. If you’ve ever lived in Texas you know how HOT it gets here in the summer. Thankfully, our hostesses back patio faces east, so we were out of the direct sun when we all got together in late afternoon. Still it was very hot that day. Thankfully, we had several delicious sweet treats to choose from including these lovely blondies. Just about everyone ate one of each of the containers of cookies I brought.
These blondies are a little more involved since you brown the butter for the blondie as well as the icing. Even still, they are some of the most luscious, scrumptious (did I say rich?) cookies you’ll ever eat. These jewels will be gobbled up in no time, so you’ll end up with an empty dish! Enjoy.
Cherry Almond Blondies are sensational!
These luscious blondies will rock your world!
If you need a sweet treat for a snack during the day, these cookies are keepers!
Cherry Almond Blondies are rich and decadent!
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients for the cookie portion. However, I used almond extract not vanilla in the recipe.
First off, brown the butter. Place butter in a small to medium saucepan over medium heat.
Bring mixture to a boil. Stir continuously allowing the butter to brown. This will take 5-10 minutes.
Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl.
Add brown sugar.
Beat mixture with an electric mixer until smooth and incorporated. Then allow to cool for five to ten minutes before adding remaining ingredients.
Mash bananas on a plate with a fork.
Add eggs (when mixture is cooled), mashed bananas, salt and almond extract.
Mix again with an electric mixer until mixture is completely smooth.
Add UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods), add diced almonds, vanilla chips and diced, fresh cherries.
Stir ingredients to combine.
Grease a 9×13″ glass baking dish. Spread cookie mixture evenly into prepared baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before adding icing.
I used these ingredients for the icing.
Melt butter over low to medium heat.
Add brown sugar and half-and-half and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool icing 5 minutes.
Add powdered sugar.
Whisk until smooth and spread evenly over top of cooled blondies.
Sprinkle almonds over top of hot icing. Press almonds down slightly into the icing.
Sprinkle vanilla chips over top of almonds and press vanilla chips gently down into the icing. Refrigerate several hours to allow the blondies to set up. If desired, garnish with fresh cherries.
Cherry Almond Blondies are great for any tailgating party or backyard BBQ.
We served these sweet treats at a block party and they were a big hit!
Every bite will knock your socks off!
If you enjoy cherries, you’ll love these scrumptious bar-type cookies.
Here’s the recipe.
CHERRY ALMOND BLONDIES
(My own concoction)
Cherry Almond Blondies
Equipment
- 1 9×13" glass baking dish
- 1 electric mixer
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 2 small sauce pans
- 2 wooden spoons
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 whisk
- 1 spreading spatula or table knife, to spread icing
- 1 nut chopper if nuts are not previously diced
Ingredients
BLONDIES:
- 2 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods
- 2 cups light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup salted butter melted and browned (2 sticks)
- 2 tsp. almond extract
- 1 cup bananas mashed with a fork
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 2 cups pitted, diced cherries
- 1 cup vanilla chips or premiere white baking chips
- 1 cup diced almonds (I chopped sliced almonds for finer texture)
ALMOND ICING:
- 1/2 cup salted butter melted (1 stick)
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tbsp. half and half or whole milk
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds or more, if desired
- 1/3 cup vanilla chips or premiere white baking chips (or more, if desired)
Instructions
BLONDIES:
- To brown the butter: Place butter in saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.
- Boil, stirring constantly until lightly browned.
- This may take five or ten minutes.
- Once butter has browned, place browned butter in a mixing bowl.
- Add brown sugar and mix thoroughly with an electric mixer.
- Allow mixture to cool about five minutes.
- Meanwhile, place bananas on a plate and mash with a fork; set aside.
- If the mixture still has not cooled sufficiently, wait a few more minutes before adding eggs, almond extract, mashed bananas and salt.
- (So the egg doesn’t scramble!).
- Mix again with electric mixer until thoroughly mixed.
- Stir in flour, cherries, vanilla chips and almonds.
- Stir mixture until well combined.
- Pour mixture into a greased 9×13” glass baking dish.
- Bake at 350° for about 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Allow blondies to cool completely before icing with Almond icing.
ALMOND ICING:
- Melt butter over medium heat in medium-sized saucepan.
- Add brown sugar and half-and-half and bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat.
- Add almond extract.
- Cool icing 5 minutes.
- Add powdered sugar and whisk until smooth.
- This may take three to five minutes to get all the lumps out.
- Spread mixture quickly and smoothly over cooled blondies.
- Sprinkle top of icing with almonds and then vanilla chips as evenly as possible.
- Press vanilla chips and sliced almonds very lightly and gently into the icing to adhere.
- Refrigerate blondies a few hours, or longer, before cutting into bars.
Notes
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
Everyone loved Cherry Almond Blondies!
The almonds and almond extract bump up the flavors wonderfully in this recipe.
The vanilla chips add more sugar making these blondies so drool-worthy.
Everyone will enjoy Cherry Almond Blondies when you bring them to your next backyard barbecue!
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