Maple Pecan Blondies for the Dessert Plate

For Maple Pecan Blondies for the Dessert Plate, the counter starts with all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Portion it for 24 Bars.

Count on 20 minutes of prep, 25 minutes of cooking, 1 hour of resting, about 45 minutes from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

Blondie Base

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter — 1 ½ sticks
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups light brown sugar — packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Maple Pecan Caramel

• 4 cups pecans — chopped
• 2 cups maple syrup — grade B or dark amber
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Fleur de sel — for sprinkling

How the cooking goes

1. Warm the oven to 350°F. Line a 13×9 inch metal baking pan with baking paper.
2. Beat flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl and keep it to one side. Melt butter in a medium pan over a moderate flame, swirling frequently, until browned bits cling to the bottom and the butter smells nutty. Move it onto a medium bowl.
3. Whip brown sugar into the brown butter until the mixture resembles wet sand, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add dry ingredients and fold until the mix looks even.
4. Lay batter evenly in the prepared pan using an offset spatula. Bake until the surface is deep gold and a tester inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
5. Toast pecans in the 350°F oven, tossing every few minutes, until a nutty aroma fills your kitchen, 10 to 12 minutes. Watch them carefully as they can burn quickly.
6. Tip maple syrup into a deep, heavy-bottomed pot. Heat it until it boils over a moderate flame and boil gently, stirring every few minutes, until the syrup coats the back of a spatula and cools quickly to a caramel-like consistency, about 15 minutes.
7. Mix in the butter until fully melted, then add the cream, stirring constantly. Add the sea salt and stir to combine. Take it off the heat and fold through the toasted pecans.
8. Pour the caramel over the cooled blondie and spread evenly. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then lift from the pan, cut into bars, and sprinkle with fleur de sel.

After it comes off the heat

Let the pan settle before you slice, so the crumb stays together. Cover leftovers once they are cool.

If you want another plate from Brownies and bars, open One Bowl Brownies with a Fudgy Middle and Chocolate Halfway Bars for the Dessert Plate.