Cherry Almond Blondies

Teresa Ambra

Cherry Almond Blondies are the ultimate in a rich, decadent and heavenly dessert. These lovely treats are filled with fresh cherries, almonds and vanilla chips. Browning the butter in both the cookie and the icing increases the flavor exponentially! If you need a wow-factor dessert for your next tailgating or block party, backyard barbecue or potluck, this one will have everyone swooning in delight.

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 25

Course Cookies, Brownies and Bars, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 394 kcal

Equipment

1 9x13" 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 9x13” 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

NOTE: Refrigerate blondies about one to two hours before cutting into bars, for easier cutting.

Nutrition

Calories: 394kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 4gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 156mgPotassium: 180mgFiber: 1gSugar: 45gVitamin A: 400IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 1mg

Keyword almonds, browned butter icing, cherries, cherry almond blondies, cookie, dessert, vanilla chips

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