Coconut Oat Blondies

I generally make some desserty thing in early February with an eye to having a treat for Valentine's day. In this case it was also with an eye to clearing out some baking supplies that were cluttering up the freezer since Christmas. I won't say which Christmas, ahem. Oh, but now I have to go out and buy more coconut because these are awfully good. The preparation gets done in a flash, too, and most of the really sticky action takes place in a single pot which makes cleaning up very easy.

I recommend cutting them into the smaller squares. They will seem quite small but they are surprisingly filling. No doubt the influence of those healthy rolled oats. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. *licks fingers*

16 to 24
45 minutes - 15 minutes prep time

Mix the Dry Ingredients:
1 cup quick-cook rolled oats
1/2 cup soft unbleached OR soft whole wheat flour
1/4 cup Sucanat OR coconut sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt

Measure, mix, and set aside the dry ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9" x 9" square pan with parchment paper. 

Prepare the Wet Ingredients & Bake the Blondies:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup honey
2 cups unsweetened coarse desiccated coconut
2 tablespoons rum OR 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Put the butter and honey into a heavy-bottomed pot and turn on the heat to medium. The pot needs to be big enough to hold all the ingredients, so about 2 quarts (litres) is required. Melt the honey and butter together. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Mix in the desiccated coconut. Mix in the rum or vanilla. Break in the eggs and mix in well, one at a time. Mix in the oat and flour combination.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out evenly, being sure to get the corners well-filled in particular. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350°F until just set.

Allow to cool 10 minutes then remove the blondies from the pan. Allow to cool completely, then cut into 16 or 24 bars. Keep for up to several days in a well-sealed tin.




Last year at this time I made Polish Chocolate Babka. Yes, it is pre-Valentine's day baking time. 

Posted in: Ontario Food