We all know blondies are brownies’ favorite cousin. These Salted Caramel Blondies can easily make you feel like you have this baking thing down pat. They are a dream of salty and sweet. The pretzel crumble adds a delightful crunch to the soft and chewy blondie. – Scot Louie
MAKES 9 SERVINGS
Ingredients
FOR THE SALTED CARAMEL
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
- 3 tablespoons water
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FOR THE BLONDIES
- Cooking spray
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup coarsely crumbled mini pretzels
- Vanilla ice cream for serving
Directions
To make the salted caramel, in a medium-size deep saucepan over medium heat, combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and water. Stir until the mixture is just evenly moistened. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush down the sides of the saucepan (this helps prevent sugar crystals from messing up the caramel). Bring the sugar to a boil, occasionally swirling the pan for even cooking, but do not stir. Cook until the sugar turns caramel brown, about 5 minutes, then remove the saucepan from the heat.
Carefully add the butter, stirring to combine; the butter will foam. Once the butter is completely stirred in, slowly add the heavy cream. Stir in the salt and vanilla. Set aside (still off the heat) while you make the blondie batter; if the caramel gets too thick, warm it gently over low heat. You’ll have about 1 ½ cups of caramel.
To make the blondies, preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray, then line it with a piece of parchment paper so that 2 edges come up and over the sides. Lightly grease the parchment with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar. Use a handheld electric mixer fitted with the beater attachments. Set it on medium-low speed and beat the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the baking soda, baking powder, egg, vanilla, and salt and beat on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stir in the flour until just combined. The batter will be thick.
Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the caramel over the top of the batter. Press the pretzels into the top of the batter so they are evenly spaced.
Bake until the blondies are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
Transfer the dish to a wire rack and let cool completely in the dish. When the blondies are cool, remove them using the parchment paper. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into squares. Rewarm the remaining caramel sauce. Serve with vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce.
