Brown Butter Cherry Blondies

 

Ingredients:

🍒 Candied Cherries

• 4 cups fresh cherries (1½ pounds, 678 grams) 🍒
• 5 strips orange peel 🍊
• ¼ cup orange juice 🍊
• ½ cup granulated sugar (3.7 ounces/106 grams) 🍚
• 1 vanilla bean 🌿
• 6 peppercorns 🌶️
• 2 star anise ⭐

🍪 Brown Butter Blondies

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (4 ounces/112 grams) 🧈

🌾 Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (4.7 ounces/133 grams) 🌾
• ½ teaspoon baking powder 🌟
• ½ teaspoon salt 🧂

🥚 Wet Ingredients

• 1 egg 🥚
• ¾ cup light brown sugar 🍯
• ¼ cup maple syrup 🍁
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 🌿

📝 Instructions

📜 Make the Sachet:

1. Add the star anise and peppercorns to a 4x4 inch piece of cheesecloth.
2. Fold the cheesecloth and twist it into a sachet, ensuring there are no holes for the spices to escape.
3. Secure and tie the cheesecloth shut with a piece of string.

🍒 Candied Cherries:

1. Remove the stems and pits from the cherries.
2. Place the cherries, orange peel, orange juice, and sugar in a small saucepan.
3. Split the vanilla bean and remove the seeds. Place the seeds in the saucepan.
4. Nestle the sachet in the cherries in the pan.
5. Place the pan over medium-high heat and cook for 15-20 minutes until the juices have thickened and are syrupy. Let cool.

🍪 Brown Butter Blondies:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Brown the butter: Add 8 tablespoons of butter to a small skillet over medium heat. Let the butter melt and start to bubble. As it cooks, the milk solids will start to turn brown.
3. When the butter is golden brown and there is a layer of small-bubbled foam, remove it from the pan (this takes less than 5 minutes). Pour it into a small bowl, scraping the bottom to release the brown bits. Let the butter cool as you prepare the rest of the recipe.
4. Cut two pieces of parchment paper to fit an 8x8 inch pan. Criss-cross the paper to create a sling for the blondies, making removal from the pan easier.
5. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) in a medium bowl. Whisk to remove any lumps.
6. Combine the wet ingredients (egg, light brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract). Add the cooled brown butter and mix thoroughly.
7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Whisk together until the batter is completely mixed.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
9. Add 16-18 candied cherries to the batter, nestling them into the batter. As the blondies bake, the batter will rise to encase the cherries.
10. Bake for 30-35 minutes. The top of the batter will feel dry, but the blondies may wiggle slightly. Let the blondies cool completely before cutting them into 9 squares (2¼ x 2¼ inches).

Enjoy your delicious Brown Butter Blondies with Candied Cherries! 😋