apple, brown butter & maple blondies

As much as I love the decadence of a deeply chocolate brownie, there’s room in my heart for its lighter cousin, the blondie. Brown sugar with butter can do no wrong; I love the notes of caramel and salt in a good blondie. With that in mind, I created this fall variation with three of my favorite things: sautéed Fuji apples, brown butter, and maple syrup.

These chewy, almost cake-like blondies will now find themselves on my to-bake list each fall. Fragrant with cinnamon, maple, and the delicious nutty notes of brown butter, I’m sure you’ll find them irresistible. A drizzle of maple glaze makes a tempting topping – I like to add the glaze just before serving.

Apple, Brown Butter & Maple Blondies
Apples
1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups peeled and grated Fuji apples
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
juice of 1/2 lemon

Batter
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tbsp low-fat milk
1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 Tbsp maple syrup

For the apples, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice; sauté until golden and reduced, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 11 x 7-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cook butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it foams, turns clear, and then turns a deep brown, about 6 minutes. Pour browned butter into a medium bowl and cool slightly. Whisk in applesauce, brown sugar, and maple syrup until mixture is smooth; whisk in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture in 2 additions, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in apples.

Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and smooth top with an offset spatula. Bake for 22 minutes, until blondies are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a crumb or two attached. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack before cutting into bars with a sharp knife. For the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, butter, and maple syrup in a small bowl. Drizzle over bars and let set before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days; bring to room temperature before serving.

Yield – 16 blondies (serving size: 1 brownie)
Calories – 150
Carbs – 27

Tagged as: Apple, Applesauce, Brown Butter, Maple