Remember those Chipotle Chicken, Spinach & Cheddar Sweet Potato Skins we made last week? Well I wasn't kidding when I said to save the scooped out sweet potato for a future recipe. I vowed not to let them go to waste. I remembered seeing a recipe for Butternut Squash Blondies and figured I could totes use sweet potatoes instead of the squash. And wouldn't ya know...I had the absolute perfect amount for this recipe! These blondies were deeelicious! And I think the brown butter makes all the difference in the taste.
We loved them warm from the oven...and loved them cold from the fridge! With a little honey or real maple syrup drizzled on top they are pretty fantastic too! Super duper moist...with pockets of sweet from the white choc chips...just the right amount of tart from the dried cranberries, and then the crunch from the occasional pepita was perfect texture-wise. They'd make a great picnic treat! It was so fun knowing that we had a dinner consisting of mainly sweet potatoes, and then a dessert in which they were also the focal point. And yet in no way was it sweet potato overload. More like an Iron Chef theme carried creatively through two courses. And there's plenty of room for your own creative add ins or substitutes here...instead of pepitas, maybe walnuts or pecans would be great!
Here is what you will need:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, at room temperature
4 tablespoons brown butter, melted and cooled (see below for a how to)
1 1/4 cups sweet potato puree
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
In a food processor or blender puree your sweet potatoes till smooth. Set aside.
Now, let's brown that butter! Which makes all the difference in flavor.
Melt your butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When melted, stir slowly and constantly as the butter bubbles and gets a bit foamy. The butter will change color, from pale yellow to light brown. It should take approximately 3 minutes. When the butter has a nutty smell, remove it from the stove and allow it to slightly cool while you prepare your other ingredients.
Now sift together your flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg into a medium bowl and set aside. Then, in a separate bowl, whisk together your eggs and brown sugar until pale in color and thickened a bit. It should take about 2 minutes to whisk.
Then with a spatula add the cooled brown butter to the sweet potato puree, then add the vanilla extract and salt. Mix these until combined and smooth.
Now you can add the dry ingredients to the wet. Mix together until just combined and all of the flour is dissolved.
Time for the yummy bits! Fold in your white chocolate chips, cranberries and pepitas. Mix until just incorporated into your batter.
Now pour your batter into a prepared pan and smooth out the top with your spatula.
Bake your blondies at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, ( in our oven they took about 45 mins) or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the blondies comes out clean.
Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely in the pan on a wire baking rack.
Once cooled, cut into squares and serve!
Store them in an airtight container in the fridge or at room temperature for up to three days.
I really hope you love these! And if you do give them a try be sure to share your thoughts after!
xo, Jenny and Aaron
*adapted from food + words