When The Pancake Princess suggests you try something, you try it. If you don't know Erika from The Pancake Princess, she runs a fantastic site famous for data-driven, multiple-tester bake-offs. They're fascinating.
So, on Instagram, Erika suggested adding a "Malted Pretzel Crunch" to your favorite blondie recipe. I was sold immediately.
Her crunch recipe was for an 8x8" pan, so I adjusted it a bit and added it to MY favorite blondie recipe.
FIRST. I could have eaten the entirety of the malted pretzel crunch right off the pan and not added it to the blondies. I basically had to slap Mark's hand away after we'd sampled a few bites.
Malted pretzel crunch is salty and crunchy and sweet. A dream of a snack. Stirred into chocolate chip blondies, it just plays so beautifully with the chocolate and brown sugar cookie dough.
Adding it to the blondies just makes them more interesting. A little more salt and a little more sweet with a bit of crunch from the pretzels and a caramel-ly flavor from the malted milk and roasted brown sugar.
Let's Make Chocolate Chip Blondies with Malted Pretzel Crunch
You'll make the crunch first and let it cool. (JUST DON'T EAT ALL OF IT BEFORE THE BLONDIE BATTER IS MADE.) Sorry for yelling.
Toss crushed pretzels with malted milk powder, brown sugar, and butter. Spread onto a cookie sheet and bake.
While that cools, whip up the blondie batter. I mistakenly left out an egg...and guess what...it worked out just beautifully. So, if you make my Classic Chocolate Chip Blondies on the regular and notice the egg discrepancy, it's not a mistake. Well, it WAS a mistake, but it worked.
Stir in the chocolate chips and crunch. Bake.
As soon as the blondies come out of the oven, you can press a few chocolate chips on top to make them extra pretty. Let them cool a bit, then...devour.
Chocolate Chip Blondies with Malted Pretzel Crunch
YIELD: 24
PREP TIME: 25 minutes
BAKE TIME: 51 minutes total
for the malted pretzel crunch:
1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup malted milk powder
for the blondies:
3 1/3 cups + 2 tablespoons unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 300. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Toss crushed pretzels with melted butter, brown sugar, and malted milk powder. Spread onto cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes, remove from oven, and toss with a spatula. Return to oven for 5 minutes more. The mixture will crisp as it cools.
Increase oven temperature to 350. Line a 9x13" pan with foil. Grease the foil.
Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Place the butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-low, stirring frequently, until the butter is melted and combined evenly with the brown sugar. Pour into a bowl. Let cool for several minutes to avoid cooking the eggs.
Add the eggs, one at a time, into the butter/sugar mixture, stirring well until thoroughly combined. Stir in the extracts.
Sift the flour mixture into the bowl with the butter/sugar/egg mixture. Stir just until combined. Break pretzel crunch into chunks. Fold the crunch and chocolate chips into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325 and bake for 16 minutes more or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack or cool for 20-30 minutes, then place the blondies in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before cutting. Use a bench scraper for straight edges.
*inspired by The Pancake Princess
Are you ready for MALTED PRETZEL CRUNCH?!? Thank you, Erika!
