Healthy Way To Make Brownies: Almond & Smoked Salt Blondies

Are blondies the new chocolate brownie?

These blondies are somewhat bottle blonde. Though they don’t have the cocoa or hefty amount of chocolate that a brownie would (which makes them a blondie), I do use muscovado sugar, which turns them a deep dark brunette. If you like you could use a lighter sugar, though the deep maltiness of muscovado works so well. The topping is blonde, however – it’s a quick, fudgy meringue – like almond topping which keeps them looking a bit blonder.

Sometimes I make these with a blend of spelt and rye flour, as I like the deep rich back note that the rye brings. The smoked salt adds something and works so well with the almonds and chocolate, but if you can’t get hold of it, normal flaky salt will work just fine. These can also be made with coconut sugar and aquafaba (a replacement for egg white), which would make them vegan.

This almond & brandied cherry semifreddo will one up your fave ice cream. 

Servings	Cook Time
8-10servings	30minutes

Servings

8-10servings

Cook Time

30minutes

• Course Desserts
• Cuisine Desserts & Drinks

Ingredients

• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt (plus a pinch)
• 250 g white spelt flour
• 180 g coconut oil or unsalted butter
• 125 g dark muscovado sugar
• 125 g golden caster sugar (plus an extra 50 g)
• 3 medium organic eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
• 125 g 70% dark chocolate chopped
• 100 g almonds skin on, roughly chopped

Servings: servings

Units:MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp sea salt (plus a pinch) 250 g white spelt flour 180 g coconut oil or unsalted butter 125 g dark muscovado sugar 125 g golden caster sugar (plus an extra 50 g) 3 medium organic eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract or paste 125 g 70% dark chocolate chopped 100 g almonds skin on, roughly chopped Servings: servings Units:MetricUS Imperial

Course Desserts Cuisine Desserts & Drinks

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Grease a 20cm square baking tin and line with greaseproof paper.
2. Place the baking powder, salt and flour in a bowl and mix together with a whisk to get rid of any lumps.
3. Place the coconut oil or butter in a pan and melt it. Add the sugars and whisk until it has mostly dissolved, then pour into a bowl. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
4. Separate one of the eggs and keep back about 1 tablespoon of the white, then put the rest into the bowl with the yolk and the other 2 eggs. Beat the eggs, coconut oil and vanilla extract together with a whisk. Fold in the flour mixture and chocolate. Once everything is incorporated, pour the mixture into the lined tin.
5. Whisk the tablespoon of egg white until fluffy, then add the almonds, the extra 50 g of caster sugar and a pinch of salt. Spread over the top of the blondie mixture with a spatula. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until crisp on top and still a little gooey inside.
6. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin, slice into squares and try not to eat them all.

Recipe Notes

Nutrients per serving: 470 calories, 27.2 g fat (18.7 g saturated fat), 61 g carbohydrates (2.3 g fibre), 24.4 mg sodium, 4.1 g protein

This recipe is excerpted from The Modern Cook’s Year by Anna Jones.

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