True chocolate connoisseurs, who appreciate most the dark and bitter chocolate that is very rich in cocoa, probably do not even consider white chocolate chocolate. But I am a white chocolate lover--the lighter the better. Ever since I have tried it as child, imported from Holland, I fell in love with its taste forever which suited my sweet tooth very well. I like it so much, also probably because I do not like dark chocolate at all, even if it comes from such reputable Belgian companies as Neuhaus or Leonidas. Fortunately, all good chocolateries are selling their chocolates by pieces and I can always fill my box with milk or white chocolate pralines.
Similarly, I also prefer milk chocolate or white chocolate desserts to anything made with dark chocolate. For the same reason I am not a big lover of brownies, as they are usually made from dark chocolate. Instead I keep exploring the culinary world in search for interesting milk and white chocolate recipes.
At present, I am working on a recipe for a white chocolate mousse, hoping to achieve perfection. It should be very delicate and fluffy, but at the same time not overwhelmingly sweet as some white chocolate desserts can be. This however is still work in progress.
Meanwhile, I found in my files an old recipe from the In Style magazine for white chocolate blondies. I gathered all the ingredients and rushed to try it out. The blondies disappeared shortly after they were cold enough to be eaten, mostly because of me and my younger son, who likes absolutely all kinds of chocolate, and found these blondies exceptionally good. They were sweet and spongy but the macadamia nuts gave them also nice crunchiness. They were an excellent treat with a strong espresso. Definitely worth making again and next time I will double their amount.
Macadamia Nut Blondies
(Makes 12-16 blondies)
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour,
1/4 tsp baking powder,
pinch of salt,
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature,
1 cup brown sugar,
2 eggs,
2 tsp vanilla,
1 cup roughly chopped macadamia nuts,
1/2 cup good quality (e.g., Ghirardelli) white chocolate chips.
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Put butter and sugar in a bowl and, using an electric mixer, combine them until fluffy.
3. Add one by one eggs beating in between well and add vanilla at the end.
4. Add in flour, baking powder, and salt, and blend again well.
5. Fold in nuts and chocolate chips into the batter.
6. Spray a glass baking dish (8x8 inch) with nonstick vegetable oil.
7. Pour the batter over the glass dish and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Take the blondies out of the oven, cut into diamonds, and enjoy.
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