Recipe For Cooking Blondies With Orange, Mint And Apricots

Toaster Oven Cookies :: Blondies and Brownies

Blondies with Orange, Mint and Apricots

Source: Kitchen Gardener - Aug/Sept 1999

1 C. unsalted butter
1 1/3 C. packed light brown sugar
2/3 C. sugar
1 C. dried apricots
1/2 C. orange mint leaves, loosely packed
2 1/2 C. unbleached flour
2 tea. baking powder
1 tea. salt
3 extra lrg. eggs
1 1/2 tea. pure vanilla extract or flavoring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 13 x 9 x 2-in. pan.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over med.-low heat. When melted, add the brown sugar and stir. Cook over med. low heat, stirring, until the mixture is thick and syrupy, about 4 min.

Add the sugar and stir until it\s dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat to cool.

Thinly slice the apricots crosswise. Wash, dry and coarsely chop the orange mint; there should be about 3 Tbsp..

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and stir to blend. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. of the flour mixture over the apricots and toss to coat them lightly.

Beat the eggs into the warm brown sugar and butter mixture (it should not be hot) and blend thoroughly. Add the vanilla extract and stir well. Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour and stir until just blended. Add the apricots and mint and stir until just mixed in. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 35 min., until the top is a deep golden brown. Allow to cool completely on a baking rack before cutting into bars.

Makes 32 bars.