The beautiful thing about The Everyday Baker isn’t just the amount of stand alone recipes (over 176, if you are counting), it’s that these recipes were also developed to use as building blocks to create even more outstanding recipes. I call this mixing and matching of recipes “mash-ups” – not stand alone new but made new by adding a new flavor twist or pairing two, three or four recipes or recipe elements together. The Double Strawberry Mousse Cake I posted in June is an excellent example – three Everyday Baker recipes mashed together to make one stunning and new cake.
Today’s mash-up comes from my trusted friend and baker-for-life Claire Van de Berghe or as her close friends call her Claire Van-Wonderful (and, yes.. she is wonderful). Featuring one of Claire’s (and my son’s) favorites from the book – Big-Bite Blondie Squares on page 166. To make the toasted coconut variation (on the left), instead of using the macadamia nuts called for, Claire lightly toasted 2 cups (5 oz./142 g) sweetened, shredded coconut, folded half into the batter along with the chopped white chocolate and spread the remaining evenly over the batter before baking as directed. For the chocolate -toffee variation (on the right), instead of using white chocolate and macadamia nuts, Claire stirred in 6 oz. (170 g) semisweet (or bittersweet) chocolate, coarsely chopped (1 cup) and 1 cup (5 1/4 oz /149 g) toffee candy pieces into the batter and baked as directed. Both deliciously different as well as delicious. Thanks for sharing this brilliant mash-up and the gorg image Claire!
Drop me a line if you’ve created any of your own Everyday Baker mash-ups. You can reach me at abby@abbydodge.com or via social media where I’m @abbydodge on most platforms (@abbydodge3 on snapchat).
Happy August and remember that Everyday is a great day for baking!
ps.. Check out the ‘events’ link on the right or click on the states for September classes in New Jersey, Connecticut and Texas!
Abby
Notes from my kitchen:
- The bars can be made and served the same day but can be baked, cooled completely, covered, and stowed at room temperature for up to 2 days before serving. Leftovers are delicious paired with a scoop or two of ice cream.
For Your Reference: Here are The Everyday Baker page numbers for the essential techniques you’ll be using in this recipe. Take a look in the book before you start baking.
- Big-Bite Blondie Squares, see p. 166.
- For more about ingredients and equipment, see p. 5 thru 28.
- For more about measuring and mixing dry ingredients, see p. 32 and p. 570.
- For more about lining a straight-sided pan with foil, see p. 135.
- For more about scraping the bowl and beater, see p. 289.
- For more about mixing butter and flour together until the butter is pea- sized, see p. 80.
- For more about chopping chocolate, see p. 380.
- For more about toasting coconut, see p. 235.
- For more about cutting bar cookies, see p. 167