Well, the summer season will officially be upon us in a few more weeks and everyone will be looking for some delicious desserts to serve at cookouts throughout the season. I say that with tongue in cheek because some parts of the country do not seem to be complying with this annual rendezvous we all share with our calendar. A prime example was the other day (May 10th, 2015) where many folks in Colorado posted pictures on social media of their day with some snow.
No, I’m not kidding…
This particular dessert was an idea I wanted to try over the holidays, but never got around. I decided to put it on the back burner and consider it again next holiday season, especially since ginger is such an appropriate holiday flavor. After the holidays, I began planning my posts for the year and began thinking about popular desserts for cookouts. I began to think about this recipe again and realized that I was so focused on the ginger in the recipe and did not even consider the fragrant and refreshing flavor the lime that I also wanted to add to the recipe. I quickly realized that this was something I should make because it’s so appropriate for any time of the year.
The little container of crystallized ginger that was leftover after the large batch I made earlier in the season kept calling my name. It kept staring at me, and I kept staring back. I finally broke down this past weekend and put all ofmy ideas for this blondie together in a recipe.
The flavor was even better than I had imagined. Many people may not know this but chocolate and lime go together beautifully. I had never considered it until I tried it and was hooked. I will say that most blondie flavors are boring reincarnations, but this is one of the most delicious blondie flavors I’ve ever tried.
For the gooey blondie base, I coaxed out a formula from a Derby pie recipe that I have used for years. I have always believed that we only really need a handful of good base recipes from which we can create hundreds of unique and delicious products. It’s a way of life that is less complicated and more creative.
I wanted to make my blondies on the gooey side, so I chose to use 1 cup of flour. If you prefer them to be a little more sturdy, then use the 1 1/4 cups of flour suggested below. If you choose to add nuts, use something mild like a macadamia nut or a pine nut so it does not detract from the other flavors in the recipe. If you choose to grind the nuts, remember that ground nuts behave like flour in a recipe, so instead of using a food processor to grind the nuts, hand chop them and don’t add more than about 3/4 cup.
Try this one for good measure…you can thank me later.
Crystallized Ginger, Dark Chocolate & Lime Blondie Bars
2 eggs
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 ½ sticks melted butter
4 tablespoon lime zest
30 drops lime oil **optional but worth using
½ cup crystallized ginger, cut into small pieces
1 ¼ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 to 1 ¼ cups flour **depends on how gooey you want them
Add the butter to a small pot and melt in the microwave and set aside to cool. Add the eggs and both types of sugar to a bowl. Pour in the cooled, melted butter and whisk well. Fold in the chopped crystallized ginger, dark chocolate, lime oil and lime zest and fold everything together and then pour this into a greased, paper lined baking tray.
I have baked these in a quarter sheet pan and I have also baked these in an 8” x8” square pan for a thicker blondie. Bake at 350°F for approximately 30-35 minutes if you will be baking them thicker, and they will take slightly less time if you use a quarter sheet pan. You know they are ready when it is golden brown on top. Remove the tray from the oven and allow the blondies to cool, then put the entire tray in the refrigerator to set before slicing into bars or bite size pieces.
They slice beautifully when well chilled…
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