Brown Butter Apple Strudel Blondies

These rich and gooey Brown Butter Apple Strudel Blondies have flavours of buttery pastry, sweet apples and warming spices. The blondie mixture is layered with cinnamon-spiced apples, baked to golden perfection, and drizzled in homemade salted caramel sauce! This is a cosy, comforting and indulgent bake that’s perfect to enjoy throughout Autumn and apple season.

This recipe is created in partnership with Whittard of Chelsea. I only recommend products I personally love, use and trust.

Ingredients to make Brown Butter Apple Strudel Blondies

• Unsalted Butter: For this recipe, you will brown the butter to release a nutty, slightly toasted, caramelised flavour. It makes these blondies taste next level and is well worth the extra step!
• Light Brown Sugar: Brown sugar contains molasses which has a distinct caramel-like flavour. It also gives the blondies an extra moist and gooey texture.
• Eggs: This recipe calls for 3 medium eggs at room temperature. Or you can sub for 2 large eggs.
• Vanilla Extract: Gives the blondies a fragrant, vanilla flavour.
• Plain flour: Binds the ingredients together and gives the blondies structure.
• Whittard Apple Strudel Hot Chocolate: A few scoops of this gorgeous hot chocolate gives the blondies a cosy apple strudel flavour with a hint of creamy white chocolate.
• Salt: A little salt helps to balance the overall sweetness of the blondies.
• Apples: Granny Smith apples are the perfect choice for this recipe for their tart and acidic flavour.
• Cinnamon: Sprinkled over the apple slices to infuse them with a warming cosy spice.

How to Brown Butter

This apple strudel blondie recipe starts with browning the butter to release a nutty, slightly toasted, caramelised flavour. Brown butter enhances the overall warmth of the blondies and is an extra step that is well worth taking. Here’s an easy way to brown butter:

• Prepare the butter: measure the unsalted butter into a stainless steel saucepan. A light saucepan helps you to see the colour change more clearly, so you don’t burn the butter.
• Melt the butter: place the saucepan over medium heat and stir until the butter has fully melted.
• Watch the colour and aroma change: the melted butter will begin to crackle and sizzle, and you’ll start to see brown milk solids sink to the bottom of the saucepan. The colour will turn from golden yellow to amber brown and the butter will smell nutty and toasty. This can take anywhere between 5-8 minutes. Brown butter can go from perfectly golden to burnt very quickly, so keep a close eye on it during the process!
• Remove and leave to cool: Pour the brown butter (and the milk solids) into a mixing bowl and leave to cool for 10 minutes before continuing the recipe.

Layer the Blondies with Spiced Apples

These blondies have a secret layer of gooey, softened, spiced apples baked in the middle. We start by peeling, coring and slicing the apples into thin slices. You combine them in a bowl with cinnamon spice and water, then microwave for a few minutes until they are steaming hot and slightly softened. Spread half of the blondie mixture into the tin, spoon the apple mixture on top, and then spread the remaining blondie mixture on top.

Drizzle this Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce Over the Blondies

Caramel and apple make a heavenly match, and the sweet and salty flavour of salted caramel sauce pairs beautifully with the blondies. My easy homemade caramel recipe uses the ‘wet’ method, which involves stirring the sugar with water first and then placing it over heat. I’ve found this method is more successful if using an induction hob and is easier than trying to caramelise dry sugar. This recipe will make one medium-sized jar of salted caramel sauce, so you’ll have plenty leftover to enjoy. It would taste amazing drizzled over these mini apple crumble cakes.

Brown Butter Apple Strudel Blondies

These rich and gooey Brown Butter Apple Strudel Blondies have flavours of buttery pastry, sweet apples and warming spices. The blondie mixture is layered with cinnamon-spiced apples, baked to golden perfection, and drizzled in homemade salted caramel sauce! This is a cosy, comforting and indulgent bake that's perfect to enjoy throughout Autumn and apple season.

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Prep: 30 minutes minutes

Cook: 30 minutes minutes

Cooling time: 2 hours hours

Total: 3 hours hours

Servings: 9

Equipment

• 8-inch square baking tin

Ingredients

For the blondies:

• 270 grams Unsalted butter
• 3 medium Green apples I used Granny Smith Apples
• 1 tablespoon Ground cinnamon
• 320 grams Light brown sugar
• 3 medium Eggs room temperature. Or 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 300 grams Plain flour
• 3 tablespoons Whittard Apple Strudel Hot Chocolate
• 1 teaspoon Salt

For the salted caramel sauce:

• 60 millilitres Water
• 100 grams Caster sugar
• 120 millilitres Double cream room temperature
• 0.5 teaspoon Salt

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

Start by making the blondies:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional. Line a 20cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper.
• Start by browning the butter. Measure the butter into a saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring until the butter has melted. Continue to heat for another 5-8 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until the melted butter is foamy on top, a golden amber colour beneath and has a nutty aroma. There should also be brown milk solids gathered in the bottom of the saucepan. Pour the brown butter and milk solids into a large mixing bowl and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
  270 grams Unsalted butter
  
• Meanwhile, prepare the spiced apples. Core, peel and cut the apples into thin slices. Place into a mixing bowl, add the cinnamon and 4 tablespoons of water. Give the mixture a stir.
  3 medium Green apples, 1 tablespoon Ground cinnamon
• Cover the bowl with clingfilm and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until the apple has softened and smells fragrant. Set aside for now.
  
• Return to the brown butter. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
  320 grams Light brown sugar, 3 medium Eggs, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• Add the flour, Whittard Apple Strudel Hot Chocolate and salt. Fold together until the blondie mixture is smooth and combined.
  300 grams Plain flour, 3 tablespoons Whittard Apple Strudel Hot Chocolate, 1 teaspoon Salt
• Spread half the mixture into the baking tin. Spoon the spiced apple slices on top in an even layer, then spread the remaining blondie mixture on top concealing the apples underneath.
  
• Bake in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes. Check on the blondies after 30 minutes, they should have risen, look golden and be firm around the edge. If you shake the tin, the middle should jiggle a little. Blondies will continue to cook through as they cool down, so for a gooier texture take them out around the 30-35 minute mark. For a firmer texture, take them out at 40 minutes.
• Leave to cool completely in the baking tin (2 hours in the fridge or 4 hours at room temperature). You can also cover the baking tin with foil and leave the blondies overnight.

To make the salted caramel sauce:

• In a medium-sized saucepan, gently stir the water and sugar together until combined. Be careful not to splash the mixture up the sides of the saucepan.
  60 millilitres Water, 100 grams Caster sugar
• Place the pan over low heat and allow the mixture to come to a boil. This will take 5-10 minutes. During this time do not stir, only swirl the pan from time to time.
• The mixture will slowly thicken and turn from clear, to light brown, to dark golden brown (see photo for reference). This process can take anywhere between 10-20 minutes.
  
• As soon as the mixture is a dark amber brown, remove from the heat and pour in the cream. Be careful as it will bubble up and splash a bit. Stir continuously with a silicone spatula until the caramel is smooth and glossy.
  120 millilitres Double cream
  
• Stir in the salt and then pour the caramel into a jar to cool and thicken up for 15 minutes.
  0.5 teaspoon Salt
  
• Drizzle the salted caramel sauce over the blondies, then slice and enjoy! Store the blondies in an airtight container in the fridge for up 3 days.
  

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