Brown Butter Bourbon Blondies
Easy Brown Butter Bourbon Blondies made with nutty brown butter, sweet bourbon, espresso powder, bittersweet chocolate chunks and topped with flaky sea salt!
INGREDIENTS
- ½ Cup (113g) Unsalted Butter browned
- 1 Cup (120g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Fine Espresso Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Fine Salt
- ¾ Cup (150g) Light or Dark Brown Sugar packed
- 1 Whole Large Egg
- 2 Tablespoons Bourbon
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Paste or Extract
- 3 to 4 Ounces (85g to 113g) Semi-Sweet or Dark Chocolate Bar roughly chopped
- Flaky Sea Salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven - Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350ºF (176ºC).
- Prep Pan - Prepare an 8x8 inch (20x20cm) square pan by buttering and lining with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal. Set aside.
- Make the Brown Butter - In a light colored saucepan and over medium heat, add unsalted butter. Swirl the pan and keep the butter moving around constantly. Once completely melted, the butter will foam and sizzle and gradually start to brown and deepen in color. You'll notice a nutty aroma and tiny brown specks at the bottom of the pan. The whole process should take about 5 to 8 minutes. Be careful not to burn it. Once the butter is a done, quickly transfer to a large mixing bowl. Make sure to scrape in all the tiny brown bits at the bottom of the pan.½ Cup (113g) Unsalted Butter
- Make Blondie Batter - Immediately add the brown sugar and whisk until well combined. Allow to sit on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes to cool slightly.¾ Cup (150g) Light or Dark Brown Sugar
- Combine Dry Ingredients - Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk togerther all-purpose flour, fine espresso powder and salt. Set aside.1 Cup (120g) All-Purpose Flour1 ½ Teaspoon Fine Espresso Powder½ Teaspoon Fine Salt
- Chop Chocolate - If you're using a chocolate bar, roughly chop it and set aside.3 to 4 Ounces (85g to 113g) Semi-Sweet or Dark Chocolate Bar
- Combine Wet Ingredients- Once the butter/sugar mixture has cooled (it can be lukewarm, but not hot), add 1 whole egg and whisk until the batter is emulsified. Then add bourbon and vanilla, and whisk until well incorporated.1 Whole Large Egg2 Tablespoons Bourbon1 Teaspoon Vanilla Paste or Extract
- Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients- Sift in the dry ingredients and combine until there are very few flour streaks left. Do not overmix.
- Add Chocolate - Add your chopped chocolate, chocolate chips, or chocolate chunks and gently fold into the batter. Reserve some chocolate to add on the top.
- Bake - Transfer the batter to your prepared pan. You can either use an offset spatula to spread the batter to the corners or swirl the pan until the batter reaches the corners. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate right on top and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. It’s ready when the edges are golden and the middle is slightly puffy and shiny. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. These are thinner, so do not overbake!
- Cool - Set on a wire rack and allow to cool completely in the pan, before cutting into small pieces. It should take about 2 hours. Top with flaky sea salt, cut into 16 equal pieces or 1-inch bites (2.5cm) and enjoy!!
Notes
Bourbon - You can use any Whiskey such as Bourbon, Rye or Scotch. You can also use any dark rum or cognac.
Chocolate - 3 to 4 ounces of chocolate is roughly equivalent to ½ cup to ¾ cup of chocolate chunks or chips. Use as much or as little as you like. I ended up using 3.5 ounces of the chocolate bar.
Baking Time - These blondies are thinner (½ inch tall) and should not take too long to bake, so keep an eye on them. Mine took 18 minutes. If you add more whiskey than written, or bake in a round 8-inch (20cm) pan, add a few extra minutes.
Storage - Store in an airtight container, on the counter for 3 days. See more storage instructions in the body of the post.
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