This recipe for Bourbon Apple Blondies wraps some of the best fall flavors into a perfectly moist dessert bar that no one can say no to.
It’s a fall Sunday. It’s a little wet and rainy and definitely chilly and I’m wrapped in a blanket eating the last of my Bourbon Apple Blondies. And my cat is on my lap and my pup is nestled beside me and I can’t imagine many other places I’d rather be.
I have a routine for writing about food. I like to take notes as I create things in the kitchen. How the batter tastes, how a dish smells as it bakes in oven, the warmth that fills the house, what I think of when I close my eyes. Taste, smell, memory. And taste again.
I like to have my computer with me when I taste because the thoughts and words and half-sentences happen so quickly. I need to get it all down.
So here I am, with my cat and my dog and my laptop and the last of the Bourbon Apple Blondies beside me, tasting and note-taking.
These Bourbon Apple Blondies are perfectly moist. I didn’t have to under bake them, they’re not falling apart, they just inherently have a perfect crumb. Is it weird that I want to describe them as caramel-y? It is – they’ve got no caramel! But there is an almost gooey quality, which I’m sure is from the soft baked apples. The baking chips are also sort of crystallized in here, which add a really sweet kick and a nice crunch. And there’s just enough salt to be noticeable. Finish all of that with a splash of bourbon and you’ve got a bar no one can say no to.
(I did use Hershey’s Sea Salt Caramel Baking Chips, so maybe that’s really influencing the flavor profile of my bars. Please let me know if you use a different flavor and how your Bourbon Apple Blondies turn out!)
Is it weird if I stop the post right here and never mention the fact that this is my first post in eight months? Do I need to catch people up? It does feel weird and yet, I kind of prefer the mystery. It’s enough for you to know that I’ve been out there enjoying life and lately I’ve been feeling the pull — to write, to create, to publish. It feels very right, this homecoming of sorts.
Bourbon Apple Blondies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup bourbon
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 medium apple cored and diced
- 1/2 cup baking chips* see Notes
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8x8-inch pan
-
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg, vanilla, and salt and beat until well-combined. Add bourbon and beat to combine. Add 1 flour and baking powder and beat until just incorporated. Gently fold in apple and baking chips.
-
Spread batter into a prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting.
Recipe Notes
I used Hershey's Sea Salt Caramel Chips, but I bet you can't go wrong with cinnamon, butterscotch, or white chocolate chips either!
More Boozy Desserts
Brown Butter Bourbon Chocolate Blondies
RumChata Blondies with Fireball Cream Cheese Frosting
Dark Chocolate Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie
