For the last couple of years, when Halloween rolls around, I start craving these Candy Corn Macadamia Nut Blondies. I don’t remember how or why I found that recipe, but it’s been a hit every time I’ve made them. Several times I’ve even made batches for Valentine’s Day, using the Valentines candy corn. It makes an incredibly sweet bar that is reminiscent of fudge – I’ve often described it as fudge with a bit of flour.
Sometimes, though, it seems a bit TOO sweet, if such a thing can be said. This week at work, we had a Halloween-themed chili cook-off, and as with years before, I decided to make a batch of candy cane blondies. Instead of making my standard recipe, I wondered if I could make them more “blondie”-like and a little less fudge-like, thinking it might make them a bit more balanced.
I looked at several recipes, but ultimately wasn’t sold on any specific one and decided to pull features from several recipes. I started with a white chocolate brownie recipe, and decided to just swap the white chocolate and the candy corn, including in the first step “melt the white chocolate and butter.” The candy corn did not want to melt, as you can clearly see. I ended up fishing out half of it (the half that didn’t melt), and adding white chocolate to belatedly substitute. It wasn’t ideal, but it kind of worked. The recipe below reflects what I should have done, eg, no trying to melt candy corn.
I added large quantities of candy corn and chopped macadamia nuts to the batter. The batter was so stiff, I really had to smooth it into place in the pan. It baked well, got very golden brown on top, and cut well the next morning.
It was generally a good hit. Among those who have had the original recipe before, reviews were mixed. Some liked that this recipe was less sweet (“still sweet, just doesn’t make your mouth ache”) and others liked the texture of the other bars better.
The plan for next time is to use a full bag of white chocolate chips and see if that adds a bit more richness to the blondie. I’ll update this post with the verdict!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (may want to increase to a full bag)
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups candy corn
- 2 cups roasted salted macadamia nuts, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13" pan with parchment paper; you may want to lightly grease it.
- On stove or in the microwave, melt the butter and white chocolate together, and let cool slightly.
- Mix the eggs and sugar together (you can use a spatula or wooden spoon, easily), then mix in the butter and white chocolate mixture. Stir in the flour and salt, and then the candy corn and macadamia nuts. The batter will be relatively stiff and chunky.
- Pour the batter into the pan, and spread it into the corners and smooth the top. The batter won't spread while it's baking, so make sure it's fully into the corners, along the edges, and smooth on top.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes, until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the blondies feels relatively cooked and not too "gooey" - it won't necessarily show as "wet" like it normally would, but it will feel like it (if that makes sense).
- Let cool, and then cut and enjoy!