The Last Hurrah Before School ~ Cherry & White Chocolate Blondies

 
I don't know about you but it seems that summer has sped by in a blink of an eye.

Such days have now come to close. Sigh.

I love summers. Not just because of the farmers market stands, the ability to wear light cotton blends, shelve pantyhose for a while and enjoy warm sands & cool breezes.

I like having the kids around - all day.

Sharing the couch quietly reading with the sounds of Tom & Jerry permeating from the next room, fixing peanut butter & banana smoothies, not to mention faux sword fights with cardboard shields (you know I have boys) & the scent of SPF cream from their skin from the endless hours spent at the pool. 

So I can't believe it's all about to change in less than a fortnight. And it seems that that's not all that's about to change. Cherries were here one minute and now they seem to be making a hasty departure through the August door.

So I'm determined to fix a treat that will not only delight the younglings and grown-ups alike but one which would feature cherries as a crown jewel. I've tweaked my traditional choconut bars recipe and I just know that I've opened the door to endless possibilities in the future (think nut flours).

Let's face it - Blondies unheard of in other parts of the globe are a quintessential American favorite. Blondie because they're a paler cousin of the rich, dark brownie. Thank goodness we don't have to be politically correct when it comes to food!

This simple version however, results in incredibly moist & rich Blondies that are delicate & fudgy - different in that they don't use brown sugar & whole morsels of white chocolate that punctuate a bite but rather molten chocolate that runs through & through - seamlessly.

Ripe summer cherries delightful in every respect hit all the right notes with their sweet, fresh and ever-so-slightly-tart flavors turning these simple treats into something quite extraordinary.

Gather the ingredients: 1-3/4 sticks (145 gms) unsalted butter, 1 qty 12 oz bag white chocolate chips, 1-1/4 cup sugar, 3 eggs, 3 cups all purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 2 cups fresh, ripe & firm sweet cherries

Also required is a 9" x 13" baking pan, aluminum foil & non-stick baking spray
Preheat the oven to 325 deg F

Butter: Cut up into chunks if cold.

Eggs: Crack in a bowl, discard shells and lightly beat with a fork. Set aside.

Cherries: Using a cherry pitter (I  highly recommend the OXO cherry pitter if you are in the market for one), pitt the cherries, discarding the stems and seeds. Set aside.

Line base and sides of the baking pan with aluminum foil and spray liberally with non-stick baking spray. Use a large pice of foil, allowing a 1 inch overhang on all sides to allow for easy removal after baking.

•  
• In a microwave safe bowl, add the butter and chocolate chips. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir with a spoon, breaking up the chocolate chips as best you can. Return to the microwave for another minute. Stir and break down chocolate clumps till the chocolate and and butter form a thick soup.
• You can also achieve the same on the stove-top with a saucepan, continuously stirring the butter and chocolate mixture over medium-low heat. Remove from heat. Set aside the butter-chocolate mixture to cool for about 5 minutes.
• Good to know: The butter will remain seperate from the chocolate.

• Sieve the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a medium mixing bowl holding the sieve 6 inches above the bowl to give the flour a good airing.
• At this point I shift to using my Kitchen Aid electric stand mixer, but you can continue by hand using a rubber spatula & a large mixing bowl.
• Good to know: Use a mixing bowl that is large enough to accomodate all the batter and enough room to fold the ingredients without spilling over.

• On medium-low setting, whip the butter and chocolate to combine. Add the flour in batches and combine. Do not over mix. The batter will be quite thick.
• Empty out all the batter into the baking pan. Using a rubber spatula spread the batter in all corners of the pan and smooth the top to even out the surface.
• Gently press the pitted cherries into the batter spacing them out evenly.
• Bake in the hot oven for about 40-45 minutes. A skewer should come out clean when inserted in the center. The top should be a gorgeous golden brown & the edges firm. Do not over bake to keep the blondies deliciously moist.
• Allow to cool completely before attempting to cut. The top will crack & splinter easily if you attempt to do this before it has completely cooled.

Soft, fudgy, squidgy & portable.
If you like your blondies just so, grab yourself a cool glass of milk and dig in. Because these are so right for you! And me.