Miso Macadamia Blondies

I decided the other night to make a quick batch of treats to share with some coworkers– the only criteria were that they had to be relatively fast to make (no chilling of dough or softening of butter) couldn’t require any ingredients I didn’t already have on hand, and had to be transportable (nothing too crumbly or decorated). I did a quick review of my pantry and fridge, and saw that I had a bunch of leftover shiro miso and a small can of macadamia nuts that my parents had brought me from a Hawaiian trip. Those sounded like they’d go well together, right? I figured a bar cookie or brownie would satisfy the “transportable” requirement, so I started with that.

A few Google searches later and I’d found a recipe for miso blondies from FixFeastFlair, which just so happened to call for macadamia nuts for crunch. It also called for butterscotch chips, but I figured that the white chocolate in my pantry would substitute nicely. I know that I’ve made miso blondies before, but those were deliberately cakier and less sweet so they’d go well with my dessert poutine. These were different.

The batter came together quickly, baked up beautifully, and tasted pretty good. I’m not calling these the most amazing blondies I’ve ever had (that title goes to my perennial favorite Snickerdoodle Blondies), but they had an interesting savory flavor to them that contrasted well with the sweetness of the white chocolate, and the macadamias were nice without being distracting. Overall, I’m calling them a success!

Miso Macadamia Blondies (slightly adapted from FixFeastFlair)

• 1 c. roasted, salted macadamia nuts
• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 12 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 c. white miso paste
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 c. white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Coarsely chop macadamia nuts and set aside.

3. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt your butter. Cool slightly, then stir in brown sugar until smooth.

4. Add eggs, miso, and vanilla and beat into butter/sugar mixture.

5. Dump in flour and baking powder and stir until smooth.

6. Add chopped nuts and white chocolate chips.

7. Line a 9×9″ square baking pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on at least two sides so you can lift your blondies out cleanly.

8. Spread batter into parchment-lined pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. These will be very thick blondies, so the centers take a while to cook. If you like your blondies extra-gooey, 30 minutes is probably enough, but if you want them a bit firmer go for at least 35 minutes.

9. Cool completely before lifting out of the pan and slicing. I chilled mine overnight for extra-clean cuts.

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