Pistachio Blondies with Saffron Frosting
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy16
servings15
minutes25
minutesI made this recipe the minute I saw it and thankfully I had all the ingredients on hand. These were AMAZING. My family and I agreed, best blondies ever!!! If you just make these and not use the frosting, they are perfect. The flavor and texture, so delicious. If you do use the frosting, it is very good, but my kids and I thought it was a bit thick so I tried making more a Saffron glaze and it worked much better and the taste was great. The recipe here is the original recipe, but when I made these again, I used more milk and a big pinch of Saffron. I then just allowed it to steep and then gently mixed in powdered sugar and it made for a much better end result.
Ingredients
3/4 cup raw, shelled, unsalted pistachios + more for garnish
1 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 heaping teaspoon ground cardamon
3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 lg eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- Saffron Frosting
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1 1/2 Tablespoons whole milk
6oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup powdered sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9 inch square pan with parchment paper so that it overhangs on all sides. Spray baking spray all over the parchment paper.
- In a food processor, pulse the pistachios until finely ground but not a paste. Off the flour, salt and baking powder and cardamon and pulse to combine.
- In a large bowl, whisk melted butter and sugar until smooth and shiny. Whisk in the eggs until incorporated. Add pistachio mixture and mix using a silicon spatula. Gently stir in white chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Spread into an evan layer.
- Bake until sides are all brown and pull away from pan. The middle is slightly paler in color about 25-27 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few crumbs on it. Cool completely in pan.
- Frosting
- While bars cool, make frosting: Finely grind the saffron in a mortar pestle. Place saffron in a microwavable bowl with the milk and microwave on high heat for 30 seconds at a time until it becomes warm. After about 30 seconds, it should be fine. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to cool down.
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and salt and beat again until frosting is the same consistency through the frosting. Add the saffron/milk mixture and beat until all the way through.
- Once bars have cooled, remove from pan and place on a serving tray. Frost the bars . Crush the pistachios and garnish over the top.Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before serving. Bars with frosting keep for 5 days in a refrigerator in an air tight container.
