Well, I am happy to say that this was a very fun recipe to make and to post because it’s my first ever assignment in the Secret Recipe Club!
What, you ask, is the Secret Recipe Club? The club was started by a blogger named Amanda over at Amanda’s Cookin’ who thought it would be fun to post a recipe on a friend’s blog and vice versa. It was a concept that took off, and now there is a large group of bloggers who participate in a monthly secret recipe “swap” of sorts.
In order to join the club, you need to have at least 100 recipes posted on your blog (I’ve got over 150!). Each month you fill out a form saying you want to participate that month. Then you are assigned a “secret” blog from which to select any recipe you want to make, and you are given a “reveal” date to post the recipe you chose. All of the secret assignments are posted on the same date which, in this case, is today. I can’t wait to see who got my site and what they chose to make!
Anyway, I was assigned a “serendipitous” choice in that I was given a fellow Bostonian’s blog. Sweetly Serendipity is a blog run by a young woman named Taryn, who has a sweet tooth to match my own. She has had a lifelong dream to open a bakery, and I have no doubt after browsing through her recipes that her confections will make it a great success.
As I deliberated over which recipe to try (so many enticing ones), I was taken by these white chocolate and blueberry brownies. The brownies call for some finely ground almonds, always a major plus for me since I don’t think I’ve ever made a dessert with ground almonds that hasn’t been a winner. Then, when I saw that she was cheering on the Pats in her post that was the clincher. And, boy, what a great choice it turned out to be!
These brownies are deliciously moist and rich—but not overly rich because the blueberries temper the white chocolate and butter. Initially, I thought the blueberries were a somewhat unusual choice for the brownies, even though they were a white chocolate variety—but the blueberries were the perfect complement to the rich taste and texture of the brownie. I sent a few back to school with my daughter Amy, who told me that the brownies stayed moist for several days. I’m sure they would freeze well, but I doubt any would last long enough to freeze!
White Chocolate and Blueberry Brownies
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup finely ground almonds
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 stick (8 tbl.) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) premium quality white chocolate (I used Ghirardelli)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup dried or fresh blueberries (I used fresh)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 9 x 9-inch pan with parchment paper.
Whisk the flour, ground almonds and salt to combine.
To melt the butter and chocolate, use a microwave-safe bowl which is large enough to hold the entire batter. Follow the microwave directions for melting on the package of chocolate (usually done at 50% power in the microwave). (Alternatively, set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of lightly simmering water. Add the butter and the chocolate to the bowl, and stir frequently until the ingredients are melted.)
Add the sugar and whisk to incorporate it; then remove the bowl from the heat. Stir in the vanilla; then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the batter and fold them in until completely incorporated and smooth batter has formed. Add the berries and fold gently to incorporate.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake come out clean.
Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temperature before removing the brownies from the pan. Cut into squares, or other fun shapes and serve.
Source: A recipe from Sweetly Serendipity
I know it’s redundant, but I am an Italian foodie. My two sisters and I grew up in a thoroughly Italian household with a Sicilian mom and a Neopolitan dad—both equally good cooks. My dad and uncle owned a small Italian restaurant together, and it was the place to go for great home style Italian food, including wonderful homemade pizza. My dad has passed on; but, to this day, even if my 80-plus-year-old mom doesn’t know you’re coming, she’ll pull a 5-course meal out of the fridge in no time flat.
Oh, delicious! I love the unusual combination of the almonds, white chocolate and blueberries in a bar, but it sounds stellar! Great choice!
I never would have though to use blueberries in a brownie, but these sound really good!
I totally would have chosen the same recipe to make if I had been assigned to Sweet Serendipty this past month! Blueberries and white chocolate along with ground up almonds….goodness it doesn’t get any better!!
I am from New England too….I live in Southern NH
~avril (from Group D)
I would LOVE to have one of these right now! I love that you used fresh instead of dried blueberries (probably cheaper too!). Great choice!
Looks really delicious – I wouldn’t have thought about putting blueberries in my brownie!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these – they came out great! They are one of my favorites. Also… welcome to the SRC!
Welcome to the SRC! You made a great pick, these look fantastic!
Welcome to the SRC! You made a great pick, these look fantastic!
these sound great, fran! glad to meet you through the SRC – i’m a fellow group D’er! =)
these sound great, fran! glad to meet you through the SRC – i’m a fellow group D’er! =)
these look absolutely delicious, fran! glad to meet you through the SRC – i’m a fellow group D’er! =)
What an intriguing combination! Yum!
Mmm….. brownies with blueberries – these look great!
What a fabulous combination for a brownie. I can just imagine the great vanilla/blueberry flavors.
Chocolate and blueberries? Sounds delish!
Blueberries may sound a little strange in a brownie, but they sure look good! You did a great job on your first post for the SRC. Welcome to the club!
What a fantastic flavor combination! I bet these were out of this world delicious. Welcome to SRC–I’m in group C. I look forward to your future posts!
white brownies!?! at first glance I thought these were blondies. These sound so good!
Great combination of flavors…love this!