Maple Tahini Coconut Blondies
Gluten-free, refined sugar-free
Yes, I know. A recipe. You were probably thinking that now it is October, all the recipes would have something to do with pumpkin or spice. Well you are wrong. I think that fall can mean more the gourds and cinnamon. For me, it is about those things that keep you warm, bring you a little bit of joy as the days get shorter and temperatures cooler.
Also, it is maple season. Maybe it is because I am a New England gal and grew up seeing maple trees being tapped, smelling the sweet, heady aroma of reducing maple syrup and dousing every breakfast item in maple syrup. That is what I associate with fall. So, why not make all the maple things?
These blondies were a bit of a spur of the moment idea that I had. I had accidentally ordered two pounds of shredded coconut (don’t ask) and had a long day of calls. I needed to relax. These blondies contain a few my favorite things (is that song stuck in your head now? Sorry about that).
Tahini
Yes, tahini again. I am unapologetically obsessed with tahini in baked goods. Like I said, the flavor that it adds to them is unparalleled. The nutty flavor (ironic since it is a seed paste) balances out the sweetness from the maple and the coconut; so, these blondies do not feel too sweet. Also, I happen to think that when tahini and maple come together, the create a caramel-like flavor. So, these are basically caramel blondies.
As always, I use two tahinis: Soom Foods (not sponsored) and Seed + Mill (not sponsored either). They are both women-owned companies, smooth and creamy, and never bitter.
Maple Syrup
First of all, do not use maple-FLAVORED syrup. Or pancake syrup for this. That is not maple syrup. That is a mixture of corn syrup, gums and flavoring. You want to use pure dark amber maple syrup. It is a bit more expensive, but it is worth the pay off. And you’re worth it right? I think so.
I do not know if the universe knew I was so obsessed with maple, but Runamok gifted me several of their infused maple syrup. Talk about a dream. The Cinnamon + Vanilla infused as well as the Cocoa Bean infused are my favorites. If my dentist wouldn’t scream at me, I would just swig it from the bottle.
The cinnamon syrup is perfect in these blondies, providing a subtle spice note as well as a hint of floral vanilla flavor. Use my code “yesplease” for 20% off when you buy some.
(Disclosure: I do not make anything when you use the discount code. They are just an amazing company and gave me a discount code, which I share with you).
Maple Sugar
Did I mention that I love maple anything? Well, I love maple anything. And maple sugar is the dark horse of the alternative sugars. It is a dry sugar (meaning the natural moisture has been remove much like cane sugar), but still has all the flavor of flowing maple syrup. Sometimes I open the canister and just smell it. It is heavenly.
Do you have to use maple sugar? No, you don’t. The maple flavor won’t be as strong if you don’t, but you can use coconut or cane sugar.
If you do want to buy some maple sugar, there are great options online. I used Coombs Family Farm maple sugar. It is delish and not too expensive for almost two pounds. And again, not sponsored, that is just the brand I like to use.
Flour Mix
I go back and forth between using an out-of-the-box gluten-free flour mixture and my own. In some instances, the gluten-free flour mixes can make baked goods a little chewy. This happens when you over mix the dough or batter and the starches are activated.
I did not want a chewy blondies, so, I used my favorite mixture of gluten-free flours: oat, teff and potato starch. Oat and teff flours are not only powerhouses of fiber, nutrients and wee bit of protein, but also evolve the flavor of whole wheat flour. They also help to give these blondies their deep, caramel color.
Potato starch is the binder in these. The natural starch from potato is not only good for your gut, but also give you the chew factor. Oat and Teff flours on their own would create a crumbly blondies, more cake-like. That is not what we want. So potato starch keeps things together.
All of my flours are from Bob’s Red Mill (no, not sponsored. I am just obsessed with Bob).
Toasted Coconut
If you want to make you apartment, house, kitchen, whatever smell amazing, toast some shredded coconut. To me, coconut on its own is just kind of meh. It is there. But when you toast coconut, the flavor is intensified.
So, how do you toast coconut you ask? It is probably the easiest thing to do. Much like browning butter, it is just a matter of heating it in a dry pan, stirring constantly until the natural sugars caramelize.
For this recipe, make sure you are using shredded, unsweetened coconut. Not flakes. Not the sweetened coconut.
Now, let’s get to the important part: baking some blondies.
RECIPE
72g (about 5tbsp) melted, unsalted butter (you can use vegan butter too)
20g (about2 scant tbsp) olive oil
45g (3 flowing tbsp) tahini
50g (1/4 cup) maple syrup (I used Cinnamon + Vanilla Runamok)
95g (1/2 cup) maple sugar
1 extra large egg
20g (2tbsp) warm water
45g (6 and 1/2 tbsp) oat flour
38g (1/4 cup) teff flour
31g (1/4 cup) potato starch
90g (3/4 cup) toasted coconut shreds
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
Optional: Crumbled halva (like Seed + Mill’s coconut halva)
Line an 8x8in square baking dish with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350F.
In a small bowl, whisk together the oat flour, teff flour, potato starch, salt and baking soda. Keep the toasted coconut separate (see the note above for how to toast coconut)
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, tahini and oil until smooth and combined. Add the maple syrup and maple sugar and whisk again for 3 minutes. Yup, that exact amount of time. You want the sugar crystals to start to dissolve a bit.
Add the egg and the warm water to the mixture and whisk until the egg is combined and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Fold in the flour mixture to the maple-tahini mixture, mixing until the flours are halfway incorporated. Now it is time for the coconut. Add the toasted coconut and continue to mix until everything is combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. If you feel like getting fancy, drizzle tahini across the top and use an offset spatula or a butter knife to swirl-a-whirl the tahini around the top. If you’re feeling extra, sprinkles some sesame seeds on top.
Bake for 20-22 minuets, the sides will be set, but the middle will still have a little jiggle (like we all kinda have after 6 months of social distancing, etc).
Let cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pan, slicing and taking a big bite.
These keep best in the fridge for a week