Camilla Wynne shared with us this delicious recipe for Banana Split Blondies from her new cookbook Nature’s Candy. In Nature’s Candy, award-winning cookbook author Camilla Wynne welcomes you into the magical world of candying fruit—the classic tradition of imbuing fruit with sugar to preserve it as a glistening confection—and tempts curious bakers to work with this fascinating ingredient in a choose your own adventure–style masterclass.
Banana Split Blondies
Makes 16 blondies
Ingredients:
115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter 90 g (3 oz) white chocolate 146 g (⅔ cup) brown sugar
1 egg
125 g (½ cup) mashed ripe banana
1½ tsp vanilla extract
140 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
60 g (¼ cup) diced candied pineapple (page 25)
60 g (½ cup) toasted walnut pieces
55 g (¼ cup) chopped candied cherries (page 25 or 28)
80 g (¼ cup) strawberry jam 30 g (1 oz) dark chocolate
½ tsp neutral oil
Banana chips or freeze-dried banana, to garnish
Rainbow sprinkles, to garnish
Directions:
- To prepare the blondies, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch square pan and line it with parchment paper. In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, or in the microwave in 30-second increments, melt the
butter and white chocolate. Whisk in the brown sugar, followed by the egg. Stir in the mashed banana and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring just until combined. Fold in the candied pineapple, walnuts, and candied cherries. - To bake the blondies, transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a small offset spatula. Dollop with strawberry jam, then use the tip of a knife to swirl it in gently. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and set. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- To finish, in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, or in the microwave in 30-second increments, melt the dark chocolate with the oil. Drizzle over top the cooled blondie, then sprinkle with banana chips and rainbow sprinkles. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes. Cut into 16 squares. Alternatively, you can cut into 9 squares and then cut each in half diagonally to make 18 wedges. The blondies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Simplify: Use store-bought candied or dried pineapple and dried cherries or Amarena cherries in place of homemade.
