White Chocolate Almond Brownies (Blondies)

I once had a recipe for the perfect summer dessert bar: White Chocolate Brownies. I found it while leafing through an old issue of Southern Living Magazine. The photo was luscious 80’s elegance – a stack of pale squarely sliced bars drizzled with a grid of dark chocolate and arranged on a red plate. They looked picnic ready and utterly delectable. I swooned and clipped the page.

Summer Love…

That recipe called for a white chocolate candy bar with almonds. Though the brand name wasn’t mentioned there was one readily available option at that time. Nestle’s Alpine White with Almonds was a creamy white candy bar with a quick smooth melt and just the right amount of almonds to balance the white chocolate sweetness. Though not a huge fan of white chocolate, that candy bar was one of my favorites.

I made those moist and delicious Alpine White Brownies again and again that summer. I loved the subtle depth of flavor, the moist and chewy texture, the refined appearance. Once summer ended I made them occasionally but soon I saw less and less of that Alpine White chocolate bar. It wasn’t long at all before it disappeared from store shelves altogether.

In its place I tried several other varieties of white chocolate candy bars but they were never the same. Though I hung onto that clipping I eventually gave up on finding a suitable replacement. Eventually the recipe got buried in my files.

Recently, on a warm afternoon, I rummaged through my pantry. In a small glass mason jar I found a handful of sliced almonds. I opened the jar and tasted them for freshness. They had a nice al dente texture, resistant but yielding, and a mild flavor. Then I found a half used bag of Ghirardelli white chocolate chips. I shook a few morsels from the bag and was surprised by the way the afternoon heat enhanced the smooth melt of those chips on my tongue. They were creamy with a nice hint of vanilla.

…Rekindled

The combination of almonds and white chocolate took me back. I fondly remembered that Alpine White candy bar and those White Chocolate Brownies of summers past. Why not concoct my own balance of white chocolate and almonds, I wondered? Did I really need to depend on the capricious availability of a particular candy bar to make delicious white chocolate brownies?

I went to my recipe files and dug out that old magazine clipping. Reading through the recipe I made a few notes to the original. I now melt some white chocolate chips with the butter and add a generous handful of sliced almonds to the batter. I also add a little almond and vanilla extract to balance the flavors. A hint of dark chocolate, drizzled in that same spare grid pattern I once found so appealing, adds definition while amplifying the subtle chocolate character of these ivory bars.

I like the result. It’s quite possible that these White Chocolate Almond Brownies taste every bit as good as those Alpine White Bars of so many sweet summers ago. Tasting the updated brownies I picture them joining me for picnics, barbecues, al fresco dinners or a tall glass of lemonade or tea on a hot summer afternoon. There we can quietly reminisce about bygones while embracing new friends and sharing something sweet with the next generation.

White Chocolate Almond Brownies (Blondies)

Recipe by LisaCourse: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

16

bars

Prep Time

20

minutes

Baking Time

25

minutes

Chewy sliced almonds and creamy sweet white chocolate morsels combine forces in these nostalgic dessert bars.

Ingredients

• 5.5 ounces white chocolate chips

• ¼ cup butter

• 1 cup flour

• ¼ teaspoon baking powder

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 2 eggs

• ½ cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• ¼ teaspoon almond extract

• ½ cup sliced almonds

• 1 ounce semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Combine white chips and butter in the top of a double boiler or in a metal bowl over hot, not boiling, water. Stir and watch carefully until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the eggs until thick and lemon colored (about 3-5 minutes.)
• Gradually add the sugar as you continue beating. Add the vanilla and almond extract, beating until well combined.
• Stir in the flour mixture. Add the white chocolate mixture, stirring just until combined. Fold in the sliced almonds.
• Spread the batter in a greased 8-inch square pan. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rake.
• Melt the semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave or in a small bowl over a pan of hot water, stirring until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Drizzle the chocolate over the cooled brownies. Chill the brownies until the chocolate sets. Cut into squares.
• Enjoy!