cardamom coconut blondies
A few weeks ago I was reading about Indian sweetmeats, as one does, and I thought, “These would make great cakes!” Not that they weren’t perfect in their original forms, I’m sure, just that some of the flavor combinations, and some of the interesting techniques seemed so inspiring to me, so full of possibilities. One in particular, a kind of fudge, with cardamom and coconut, became stuck in my craw as a perfect combination. Time passed, and the combination of cardamom and coconut haunted me…but I really felt that I wanted to make something with a different texture – not light and crumbly like a cake, but dense and tender, like the fudge that had inspired me. And then the whole thing with the brownies happened (I made 2 trays in 2 days…) And then it hit me!! These should be brownies!! But really blondies, because they wouldn’t have any cocoa in them! And they should have white chocolate chips, because brownies are required to have chocolate chips, but I liked the idea of all the wintery white colors in these. Before the last brownie was eaten, I got to work. And, let me tell you, these are the most ridiculously tasty, tender inside, crispy outside blondies I have ever eaten!!
Here’s Jole Blon by Harry Choates
1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup)
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 cup coconut, processed to be like crumbs
1 1/3 cup flour
1/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3/4 t. ground cardamom
2 oz white chocolate, broken into small pieces, or 3/4 cups white chocolate chips
Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, melted (slightly cooled) butter, coconut milk, and egg.
Add all of the dry ingredients. Mix well, and stir in the white chocolate.
Spread into a butter-and-floured 13 X 9 inch pan.
Cook in a preheated 350 degree oven for about half an hour, till it starts to look brown on the edges and pull away from the sides. These blondies are so tender, that if you want to eat one hot, you might have to do it with a spoon!! Once they cool they’re much more workable, though. They set quite nicely.
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Out of the Ordinary 
I didn’t make the brownies, because I haven’t any white chocolate. But I made coconut fudge instead!
Did you use sweetened coconut or just regular?
I use sweetened–just easy-to-find sweetened flaked coconut. I think it would work well with regular, because the brownies are quite sweet.
Thanks Claire! I am going to make them tomorrow! Very excited!
Me, too! Regarding coconut milk, do I find that in the refrigerator case, in cans, boxes or ?? I don’t think I’ve baked with coconut milk before!
In my grocery store it’s in the aisle with foreign foods…in the Asian section, in cans. It might be called Cream of coconut, I’m not sure. But you don’t want the sweetened kind people use in pina coladas (unless you’re making pina coladas!)
Thanks, Claire! I think I have made my own coconut mild with unsweetened coconut flakes. For this recipe I’ll pick up a can in the grocery store. And yes to those piña coladas, LOL!