Are you too hot to handle these days? I bet you are, you foxy lady. This time, no oven for you, then. No siree.
Even now and again, you just need a dead simple gluten-free recipe that hits the spot for the love of all things holy oh my goodness gracious.
These blondies start with a simple crunchy gluten-free vanilla wafer cookie recipe (link to those cookies in the printable recipe below) that I promised would come in handy if you remember and even if you don't. Remember, that is.
Just grind up about 1 recipe of those babies. I keep these crunchy gluten-free cookies all shapes and sizes. Some are fully in rounds, in a tightly sealed freezer-safe zip-top bag. And some are even already ground, in a bag just the same, in the freezer just waiting to be made into something special.
Do yourself a favor and, if at all practicable, use Vanilla Bean Paste
In a recipe this simple, each ingredient really shines through.
Here's you, crisscrossing sheets of unbleached parchment paper in the pan. You smartie pants.
The dough gets pressed and prodded into a single, even layer in the baking sheet.
And then those mini chocolate chips just know what they're doing, perched on top like that.
Do chill the bars before slicing them, though, or the chocolate won't have set just yet and the bars might not hold their own. Patience is a virtue. Even if it's also a pain.
| No-Bake Gluten-Free Blondies |
- 2 1/2 cups (350g) finely ground gluten-free Vanilla Wafer Cookies
- 10 ounces white chocolate, chopped
- 9 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup (150g) white chocolate chips
- 5 to 6 ounces mini chocolate chips, for sprinkling
- Line an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish with crisscrossed sheets of unbleached parchment paper, each overhanging the edges of the pan. If necessary to keep the parchment paper from moving around, dot a small amount of butter or vegetable shortening on the bottom and sides of the pan, and on top of the bottom piece of parchment. Set the pan aside.
- Place the Vanilla Wafer cookie crumbs in a large bowl, and whisk to loosen them if necessary. Set the bowl aside.
- In a medium-size, microwave-safe bowl, place the chopped white chocolate. Place the bowl in the microwave and melt the chocolate for 45 seconds at 70% power. Remove from the microwave and stir. Return the bowl to the microwave and melt again for 45 seconds at 70% power. Remove from the microwave, stir, and repeat until the chocolate is entirely melted and smooth. Add the sweetened condensed milk and the vanilla bean paste to the bowl, and stir until smooth.
- Scrape the milk and white chocolate mixture into the large bowl of cookie crumbs, and stir with a silicone spatula until combined. The dough will be thick, but not yet stiff. Allow the dough to cool a bit so that it does not melt the white chocolate chips. Once the dough has cooled a bit (but not too much, or it will become too stiff to press into the pan), stir in the white chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish, and press and smooth the dough firmly into an even layer with wet hands and a wet silicone spatula.
- Sprinkle the top of the dough evenly with the mini chocolate chips, and gently but firmly press the chips into the dough so they don't fall out.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until firm (about 2 hours).
- Remove the blondies from the pan with the overhung parchment paper. With a sharp, wet knife, slice into 16 squares. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or frozen.
The vanilla bean paste can be replaced with an equal amount, by volume, of pure vanilla extract.
Love,
Me
P.S. For more recipes, and for tips and tricks to get you off on the right foot with gluten-free baking, I hope you'll check out My Cookbook. Thank you for supporting my work!
Marion Taylor says
Thanks for sharing this idea Nicole, it looks positively delicious! Who says meeting your dietary needs can’t taste great too!
joy says
O my. These are too easy to make. I *sniff sniff* smell trouble trying to keep from eating them all, myself!
Nicole says
I hear you, Joy. Share with friends. :)
xoxo Nicole
Jamie says
Looks delicious! I made your brioche bread from your cookbook tonight and it was a huge success!! My daughter said her bread was so good that it was like eating cake. I love to bake but I have not had much success with bread. Maybe I can actually do this bread thing!!!
Nicole says
That’s so great, Jamie! You can most definitely do this bread thing. It’s so important to have early success, since it really does breed confidence. Sounds like you had just that. Keep going!
xoxo Nicole
Rebecca says
I didn’t make the vanilla cookies..well… I did, but I put True Lemon in them, so we will be having Lemon Blondies. Yum, lemon and chocolate all at the same time and I don’t have to turn that oven on! Thank you Nicole oxox
Nicole says
Oooh interesting, Rebecca. True Lemon in the vanilla cookies. They’re really a pretty basic cookie otherwise, so that sounds really good! I’m about to order True Lime from amazon, and start putting that to some good use this summer.
xoxo Nicole
Fatcat says
So creative!
They look yummy too.
As soon as the weather cools off I’m going to have to have a cookie baking day and freeze a bunch for later. :-)
Nicole says
Stock up, Fatcat! Then leave that oven off. :)
xoxo Nicole