As I promised in my review of “Short and Sweet,” here is the recipe I selected to break in the book, so to speak. Most people would imagine I’d choose a bread, and indeed many were calling my name. But when I set my eyes on this recipe, I became like a Jack Russel chasing a squirrel, oblivious to everything else. How could I possibly resist? In his opening remarks, Dan states that if Carmen Miranda had some ripe bananas laying around, she would bake these blondies. The rich, white chocolate & banana cake hide little jewels inside, toffee bits made with Brazil nuts. Cannot go more Brazilian than that, unless you throw in some coffee, but I suppose that would give the blondie too much of a tan. 😉
BANANA BLONDIES
(published with permission from Dan Lepard)
to make the toffee:
75g superfine sugar
2 Tbs cold water
75g Brazil nuts, chopped
for the blondies:
100g unsalted butter
250g fine sugar
200g white chocolate
1 egg
2 ripe bananas, peeled (200-250g)
2 tsp vanilla extract
200g all purpose flour
¼ tsp baking powder
Lightly coat with oil a small baking sheet. Reserve. Place the fine sugar and the water inside a small pan. Turn the heat to medium, bring the water to a boil, and gently let it boil until the sugar turns a very dark golden color, but don’t let it burn. Immediately drop the chopped nuts inside, and stir with a silicone spatula or another appropriate tool. Carefully but quickly pour the mixture over the prepared baking sheet, spreading it around. Let it cool completely, then chop the toffee into small bits. Reserve.
Resist the temptation to try the toffee. Do not touch it!
Line the base and sides of an 8 inch (20 cm) square baking dish with parchment paper and heat the oven to 375 F. If using a non-stick pan you can skip the parchment paper, but coat the pan with a little butter to prevent sticky issues.
Heat the butter and white chocolate stirring gently in a pan over very low heat until melted (or use the microwave in short 10 second cycles of heating), then transfer to a medium size bowl. Add the remaining (250g) sugar and beat with the egg, bananas and vanilla until smooth. Sift the flour and baking powder, add to the batter together with the toffee bits, folding it all gently.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for about 35 minutes, until golden on top. If you shake the pan slightly, the center portion should still be slightly wobbly, but mostly set. Cool it completely before slicing in small squares.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
This was my first time making toffee, and quite likely the first time tasting some made from scratch. I had no idea it would be so amazing! I am not that fond of Brazil nuts, so I tried a small bite of the toffee to decide whether to add it or skip it. The stars in the sky had never been so bright! It was unbelievably tasty: sweet, crunchy, nutty, enough to make me lose all my composure and disregard my own motto of “everything in moderation.” Moderation and this toffee don’t match.
Back to the blondies. These are certainly worthy of Carmen Miranda‘s approval, tropical bits of tender cake, with intense banana flavor, the creaminess of the white chocolate, and the sweet crunch of the toffee surprising the palate at every bite.
Pointers for success: Check the weight of the banana(s) so that you don’t go over the 250g mark. Do not use over-ripe bananas from the freezer, because they tend to release too much liquid and the cake may not set properly.
Here’s what Carmen would tell you:
Make a double batch of the toffee. Sprinkle some over vanilla ice cream.
Close your eyes and take a spoonful.
Repeat.
Carmen Miranda (1909-1955)
ONE YEAR AGO: Show-stopping Spaghetti and Meatballs
TWO YEARS AGO: Magical Lamb Stew with Parsnips, Prunes, and Chickpeas
Bewitching Kitchen 
You caught me… when you said “Resist the temptation…” I was already scheming about how I would prob eat half of it before it made it into the squares. I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve never made a blondie… do they all have this delicious toffee and white chocolate in them?? They would be addicting:)
LikeLike
Hi there!
No, they don’t have either, at least not traditionally – I found this link for you
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blondie_%28confection%29
but I can tell you, the white chocolate and the toffee are amazing touches… and of course, anything with banana is heaven in my Brazilian opinion 😉
LikeLike
I like the dog on a squirrel analogy, I immediately understood how helpless you were :0 There are so many interesting ingredients in this recipe that set it apart from the conventional blondie (I laughed about the coffee!!). The toffee bits… I’m so impressed you made them yourself…I suspect that might be a bit too technical and precise for Kelly 🙂 Did you know that Brazil nuts are one of the most concentrated dietary sources of selenium? (they come up frequently in this connection in the nutrition world).
LikeLike
Kelly, I now intend to use Brazil nuts more often in cooking – I find their taste in the “natural state” a little too harsh, compared to all other nuts. But after trying this toffee and trying these blondies, I am looking forward to using them in savory recipes too. Selenium is an important metal and I think not that common to find in foodstuff – isn’t shrimp another good source for it? I can’t quite remember right now – haven’t had my morning coffee yet, just doing it as I type (we arrived yesterday in Los Angeles, so we are in California time….)
LikeLike
Oh Sally! You know this is right up our alley. I think I could even overlook the fact that there’s chocolate in here. 😉 My mom used to make homemade toffee. I may have to give this a try sometime. Although I don’t know if I should make another dessert I’d be helpless to right now. Ha! I hope you have a great weekend!
LikeLike
Hope you try it and the whole family approves!
LikeLike
I completely understand why you chose this recipe. Yum!
LikeLike
A very easy choice….
LikeLike
Oh, what an amazing twist on a blondie! I rather have a blondie than a brownie anytime, and this recipe with the toffee and the banana is just incredible!
I ordered the book, by the way, and hope it gets to my home soon, could not resist after your great review about it
Nice post, Sally!
LikeLike
You will love the book, Margareth!
LikeLike
That toffee looks amazing!
LikeLike
Doesn’t even look as good as it tasted, trust me….
LikeLike
I would have a very hard time not nibbling on that toffee! I made toffee a very long time ago, but the brazil nuts are wonderful addition. And the combination with banana sounds so delicious in this blondie! What a fabulour recipe!
LikeLike
Banana, toffee and white chocolate, my latest favorite combo!
LikeLike
I might just make the toffee. It’s one of my great weaknesses. Sigh. I, too, laughed at your comment about coffee. It would alter the appearance and they might not be blondies any longer, but the flavor would be amazing, IMO. Instant espresso should do the trick and you’d have Sally’s darker coffee blondies.
LikeLike
Now, that’s an idea…. can you imagine if “I”, the cake-challenged par excellence would come up with my own recipe for a tanned-blondie?
LikeLike
Pingback: Baking for my family over the holidays « Butterflies and Bunny Rabbits