Special Blondies with Brown Butter, Chocolate Chips, and Marcona Almonds

Here is a fact to blow your mind: 90% of my posts are written from my bed.  When I had roommates it made sense to work in my bedroom because that was my quiet space.  I could also be alone and get into my head for all these riveting words.  Now that I live alone I spend much less time in my bedroom and much more time in the living room.  My little slanted roof living room is my downfall however.  I just don’t have strong focus in there.  True story.

Mind not blown?  Here is another fact: Whole Foods may possibly be the devil.  I  said it.  They built a beautiful Whole Foods in Brooklyn next to my favorite derelict house with a lovely parking lot and then I moved away.  Which is probably a good way to save my bank account.  However, I find myself stopping in Whole Foods when I’m in Park Slope and spend a ton of money.  And this is not for my regular groceries, this is my “extra” purchases.  You know, those special foods you just have to have.

What’s the point?  Marcona almonds are one of those special purchases.  Obviously I couldn’t just walk into Whole Foods to get almonds, I need nutritional yeast, some hot food for dinner, and another $30 worth of food.  Marcona almonds are totally worth it, totally!  I first tried marcona almonds at the Iberian Pig in Atlanta and was blown away by how creamy and flavorful these almonds wore, this is not your regular almond!

When I saw this recipe on Joy the Baker, I knew I wanted to make the blondies as an excuse to buy marcona almonds.  Marcona almonds require a specialty store, so Whole Foods it was; the story comes full circle.  The blondies are worth the extra trip and money; they are sweet, chewy, moist, nutty from the brown butter, and super special from the bittersweet chocolate chips and marcona almonds.  These aren’t the blondies you serve to your drunk friends; these are the blondies you sit and savor!

Two Years Ago – Grasshopper Pie

Print the Recipe!

Special Blondies | Blondies with brown butter, chocolate chips
Adapted from Joy the Baker
Yield – 16 pieces

10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup cashew or almond butter (mine was unlabeled)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup marcona almonds
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
sprinkling of sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 ˚F and grease an 8×8” pan with shortening.  Cut parchment paper to fit in the pan and overlap the sides.  Grease the parchment paper as well.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and cook until brown and nutty, whisking the whole time.  Let cool for about 5 minutes before proceeding.
3. Whisk in the brown sugar and then the eggs one at a time.  Add the cashew butter, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder, whisk to combine.
4. Add the flour, three-fourth’s of the almonds and three-fourth’s of the chocolate chips.  Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.  Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
5. Place the remaining almonds and chocolate chips neatly on top.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until just browned and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Let cool on a wire rack and then cut into pieces.