Can I tell you a secret? I’ve never been a fan of blondies. The ones I’ve tried in the past have been tooth-achingly sweet or a little too dry or just made me crave a brownie instead. Despite all that, I couldn’t write a whole section in “108 Asian Cookies” on brownies and bars without including at least one or two knockout blondie recipes! And this blondie, layered with flavors and generous in inclusions, does not disappoint. You get a hint of cardamom contrasting matcha’s grassy, umami and slightly bitter notes. (For this reason, you commonly find cardamom added to matcha lattes.)
As a result, the combination of spice and tea makes this chewy, nutty, and buttery treat even more flavorful and warm, like a cozy blanket or a comforting embrace with each bite. Thanks to this recipe, I can safely say I’m now a fan of blondies!
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Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 g) unsalted
butter
1 cup (120 g) cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon culinary-grade
matcha, plus more for
dusting
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 heaping teaspoon red miso
3/4 cup (113 g) packed light brown
sugar
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons (30 g) heavy
cream
1/2 cup (60 g) pistachios,
chopped
1/3 cup (57 g) white chocolate
chips
Confectioners’ sugar, for
dusting (optional)
Directions
- Adjust a rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Crumple, then uncrumple a large sheet of parchment paper and use it to line an 8-inch square cake pan with some overhang. Smooth and press down the parchment paper with your hands.
- To make the brown butter, cook the butter in a saucepan over medium heat while whisking continuously, until the butter foams, the foam subsides, the butter is golden, and brown (not black) bits form on the bottom, at least 5 minutes. You’re looking for a nutty aroma and not a burnt smell. Set aside to cool or chill in the freezer for a few minutes
for faster cooling. - Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, matcha, and cardamom together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Pour the brown butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the miso and sugars and mix on medium speed until well combined. If the mixture is too hot, wait a few minutes before adding the eggs and cream. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is paler in color, about 2 minutes. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Don’t overmix the batter. Using a spatula, fold in the pistachios and white chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and use a rubber or offset spatula to level and smooth the top of the batter. Bake, rotating the baking dish once halfway through baking, until a bamboo skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, the blondie has set, and the top has lightly browned, about 36 minutes.
- Cool completely on a wire rack. Slice into 9 to 12 equal blondies and dust with matcha powder or confectioners’ sugar, if desired.
Cook’s Notes
- You can mix the batter by hand with a whisk and spatula or using a hand mixer. Just note that blondie batters, like brownie ones, tend to be thick and require more effort to hand mix.
- Not a fan of pistachios? Use any other nut or omit them.
- Store the blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
This recipe is excerpted from Kat Lieu’s “108 Asian Cookies: Not-To-Sweet Treats from a Third-Culture Kitchen.”
