Caramel Coconut Cashew Blondies

These nutty blondies are studded with creamy white chocolate and topped with a super simple homemade dulce de leche, toasted coconut, and crunchy cashews.

Does anyone else feel like they just need a vacation?

Maybe it’s the former teacher in me, but come June 1st, I have the hardest time motivating myself to do anything because it’s summertime, baby! This year, I feel that longing for rest at an exponential rate. We took a quick little anniversary trip to NYC at the beginning of the month and then I got sick when we got home. Because I was out of commission for a few weeks, playing catch up has just been the worst. I’ve been scrambling to finish all of my client work before deadlines and at the end of the day, I’m just wiped and I need a break.

I would love to hide away on a tropical beach with a book, tuning out the world entirely for a bit so that I can actually re-charge. Unfortunately for me, that’s not in the cards this summer so I may just be turning off my social media accounts and making these loaded tropical-esque blondies—I’ll take it.

caramel coconut cashew blondies

The idea for this recipe started as “hawaiian cookie bars” scribbled in my notebook. I was thinking white chocolate, macadamia nuts, maybe a little coconut—flavors that made me feel like I was on an island or at the very least, hanging out the Disney Polynesian Resort.

Trader Joe’s was fresh out of macadamia nuts when I was recipe testing and I needed something sticky to bind it all together, so we settled on cashews and dulce de leche.

Kind of like a clean-out-the-pantry cookie bar, these are simple and easy and a real crowd pleaser. We start with a brown sugar blondie layer, studded with chopped white chocolate. Then, homemade dulce de leche (so easy, I promise) is poured over the top, and the bars are finished with toasted coconut, toasted cashews, more white chocolate, and a little pink salt.

A quick chill really helps the dulce de leche firm up, but I honestly don’t mind sticky caramel dripping down my hands so skipping it is also an option. Make a batch, share with friends, and pretend like you’re on vacation.

Yield one 9x13 pan, about 24 squares

Author Anna Ramiz

Prep time

30 Min

Cook time

2 H & 30 M

Inactive time

4 Hour

Total time

7 Hour

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Caramel Coconut Cashew Blondies

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These nutty blondies are studded with creamy white chocolate and topped with a super simple homemade dulce de leche, toasted coconut, and crunchy cashews.

Ingredients

for the dulce de leche

• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

for the white chocolate blondies

• 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 cup (170 g) butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup (57 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup (300 g) brown sugar
• 8 oz white chocolate, chopped

for the topping

• 2.5 oz cashews, toasted
• 1 cup (2 oz) coconut, toasted
• 3 oz white chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 tsp pink salt

Instructions

1. Make the dulce de leche: Remove all paper wrapping from the can of sweetened condensed milk. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with water until the can is completely submerged. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 2 hours, adding more water as needed to keep the can submerged the entire time. Use tongs to remove the can from the water and place on a towel to cool completely, at least 4 hours, before opening. The dulce de leche can be made ahead and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
2. Preheat the oven to 325° F and line a 9x13” baking dish with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth and homogenized. Add the brown sugar and whisk until to combine.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until all of the flour has been incorporated. Add the chopped white chocolate and stir again to disperse. Transfer to the prepared baking pan and smooth into an even layer.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the edges are deeply browned. Cool in the pan for about 30 minutes.
7. Spread the dulce de leche in an even layer over the surface of the blondies and then sprinkle with toasted cashews, toasted coconut, and chopped with chocolate. Transfer to the refrigerator and let chill for at least an hour.
8. Sprinkle with pink salt, slice, and serve

Notes

A quick note on making homemade dulce de leche: Be extra careful when removing the hot can from the simmering water. I like to use tongs to lift the can out of the water and then I let it cool down on a kitchen towel. Let the dulce de leche cool COMPLETELY or it will explode hot caramel when you open in. I would give a minimum of 4 hours, but recommend longer. Better safe than sorry!

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Apple Cider Affogato

A spin on the classic Italian dessert, this simple, fall affogato is perfect for the holiday season. It comes together quickly, and features caramel gelato drowned in mulled apple cider and topped with whipped crème fraîche and a crunchy hazelnut streusel.

Happy Thanksgiving week to all!

I am very hot and cold when it comes to Thanksgiving celebrations. I love that Thanksgiving is essentially a holiday with celebrations that revolve completely around food. But, I tend to get fairly frustrated at the traditional fare (not surprising at all) and often feel like I’m straddling a line of trying to please everyone with all of Turkey Day classic dishes that, if I’m being completely honest, I don’t really like. On top of that, with a career in food media, I’ve already made at least three Thanksgiving feasts by the time the fourth Thursday in November actually arrives.

In case you haven’t figured it out through a glance of my recipe index, I like to buck tradition when it comes to food. This year, it’s our first Thanksgiving in Minneapolis and will just be me and the boys (Martin and Tahini) since all of our family is thousands of miles away in the regions of the country where there is still a touch of warmth. We’ll be staying in and watching movies with a big batch of bolognese simmering in the background. There will be caesar salad, garlic bread, tiramisu, and sparkling negronis and I cannot wait.

I wrote this recipe for those of you interested in spicing up your Thanksgiving table a bit. If you’re looking for a dessert closer to the classics, check out my pumpkin ricotta tart. This apple cider affogato recipe is for wow-ing your guest with a table-side dessert that takes almost no effort at all. Be a little bit fancy this year.

an italian affogato recipe

Affogato is an Italian dessert traditionally made by pouring hot espresso over gelato—the word affogato means “drowned” in Italian.

For this recipe, we’ll use whatever store-bought caramel gelato you like best. I really love Talenti and Dolcezza brands, but pick your favorite! Then we’ll mull some apple cider with a handful of spices just until its hot and spiced and your house smells like a holiday dream. A little whipped crème fraîche and hazelnut streusel round everything out with a little tang and a bit of crunch.

The only thing you’re baking here is the hazelnut streusel and you can make this in advance. It takes about 5 minutes to mix together the cookie dough and then you’re just going to clump it in a granola-like layer on a baking sheet and bake it until it’s golden. After the streusel has cooled, break it into chunks and transfer it a container. It will keep at room temperature for 4-5 days and you can just pop any leftovers in the freezer and keep it for sprinkling on ice cream or pies anytime.

Yield

4

Author

Anna Ramiz

Prep time

15 Min

Cook time

15 Min

Inactive time

15 Min

Total time

45 Min

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Apple Cider Affogato

A spin on the classic Italian dessert, this simple, fall affogato is perfect for the holiday season. It comes together quickly, and features caramel gelato drowned in mulled apple cider and topped with whipped crème fraîche and a crunchy hazelnut streusel.

Ingredients US Metric

for the hazelnut streusel

• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup (50 g) brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (63 g) all purpose flour
• 1 cup (89 g) rolled oats
• 1/2 cup (70 g) chopped hazelnuts

for the mulled cider

• 4 cups apple cider
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 tsp whole cloves

for the whipped crème fraîche

• 8 oz crème fraîche
• 4 oz heavy cream
• 50 g powdered sugar

• 1 pint caramel gelato of choice (I like Dolcezza or Talenti)

Instructions

to make the hazelnut streusel

1. Preheat the oven to 350° and line a quarter sheet tray with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Beat for 1-2 minutes until light and sandy.
3. Add the flour and oats and mix again for about 30 seconds, until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and fold in the hazelnuts.
4. Scatter the streusel dough in clumps on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until the edges are just beginning to brown.
5. Let the streusel cool completely and then break it up into pieces. Store in a sealed container for up to a week or for about 3 months in the freezer.

to make the mulled cider

1. Combine all cider ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Let the mixture boil for about 5 minutes, then remove it from the heat and cover it with a lid.
2. Let the cider steep for 15-20 minutes and then strain out the spices. Serve warm.

to make the whipped crème fraîche and assemble

1. Combine crème fraîche, heavy cream, and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk vigorously until the mixture has thickened and soft peaks form.
2. To assemble the affogatos: Place two scoops of gelato in a bowl or glass. Pour 5 oz of hot cider over top of the ice cream, dollop a spoonful of whipped crème fraîche on top followed by a handful of hazelnut streusel and serve immediately.

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Pumpkin Ricotta Tart

A step up from the traditional pumpkin pie, this pumpkin ricotta tart deserves a place at your Thanksgiving table. It has a crisp, sweet crust, layers of light and creamy pumpkin ricotta filling and is topped with an olive oil caramel, a handful of cookie crumbs, and whipped crème fraîche.

When it comes to developing recipes for the blog and creating a brand with a clear culinary point of view, I have a very niche perspective. I feel very strongly that home desserts (and honestly, lots of restaurant desserts but that’s a whole other sermon) should be better. As much as I love the classic chocolate chip cookie from the back of the Nestle Toll House bag or can eat my weight in a package of Double Stuf Oreos, it occasionally seems like, when it comes to baking, we lose the sense of adventure that we find in cooking and settle for the same old stuff time and time again. I think that there is space in this little baking world for both—we can enjoy the classics while also challenging ourselves with new and different ideas and flavors.

I’ve had some very fun opportunities to work in fancy schmancy restaurant kitchens alongside some truly genius chefs, who have taught me that there is something special about a great dessert. And I believe we can create that at home. I have two big goals on this blog:

1) to challenge you, home bakers of the inter-webs, to play around with unique and creative flavors that go beyond the familiar chocolate, peanut butter, sugar flavor palette

2) to teach you basic, foundational pastry and baking skills so that you are empowered to create desserts with your very own stamp.

With all of that in mind, when developing recipes, I ask myself a few different questions—

Is this recipe familiar enough to draw someone in, yet unique enough to pique their interest?

How can I take the multiple texture, multiple components of fancy plated desserts and incorporate them in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming and labor intensive to a home a kitchen?

What flavors can we create using ingredients that are fairly accessible to a home baker? (aka—no fermenting summer flowers to reduce and use all through winter)

about this pumpkin ricotta tart recipe

All of that to say that this recipe ticks all the boxes. This was a fairly quick recipe to develop—one day, the idea just popped into my head and from conception to completion, the recipe development process only took two days. It just works.

I wanted to create a dessert for your Thanksgiving table that felt grown-up and elegant, while also familiar and comfortable. I wanted to create a dessert that could be made ahead of time, used very few dishes and only a little hands-on time, but that would look like you poured days into it. Et voila-a perfect pumpkin ricotta tart was born.

For this tart there are really two basic components: (plus a few optional extras to really wow everyone)

• a tart crust: For this recipe, and most tart recipes, we are using a basic pate sucreé or sweet crust dough. The difference between a sweet crust (sometimes called shortcrust) and a pie crust is simply the addition of eggs and sugar. The final result falls somewhere between a pie crust and a cookie. The tart crust itself takes maybe 10 minutes to make, but does need a little chill time. You can make it a few days ahead, chill it overnight, roll it out and line your tart pan and then just store your lined tart pan in the freezer until you’re ready to bake.

• a ricotta filling: We love a creamy ricotta filling. It feels a little like cheesecake but without being a giant slice of dairy, it’s light and fluffy and really quite dreamy. This ricotta filling is made in the food processor for maximum fluffiness and minimal effort. There’s a bit of citrus zest, sugar, cream cheese, eggs and yolks, and good ricotta (more on that later). Then, a portion of the filling is separated out doctored up with pumpkin and lots of festive spices. Once baked, the ricotta filling needs an overnight chill so again, you can make this whole dessert the day before.

• extras: In my humble opinion, there are two things that take a dessert from good to great: 1) contrasting flavors and 2) contrasting textures. For this tart, a very simple whipped crème fraîche takes the place of whipped cream and the cultured, tart flavor helps cut through some of the sweetness. I also made an olive oil caramel for plating and drizzling (again, you can make this lots of days ahead and keep it in your fridge) and I sprinkled some cookie crumbs on top. I used a bit of hazelnut streusel that I had in the freezer from another recipe, but you can use any crunchy cookie you’d like, store-bought or homemade (gingersnaps would be my number one recommendation)

picking good ricotta cheese

At risk of sounding bougie or a little too much like Ina Garten, good ricotta cheese is worth it. Often in Italy, ricotta is a sheep’s milk cheese, but most of what you see in American grocery stores is made from cow’s milk. High quality ricotta cheese has a richer (more cheese-like) flavor and larger curds. If you think about the tubs of ricotta cheese that you find in the refrigerated aisle of the grocery store, you’ll notice that the curds are very small, almost grain-like because of the fact that they make it in large-scale production. Fresher, smaller batch ricotta has larger curds and is a bit fluffier.

At my grocery store, they have small batch ricotta by the deli in the fancier cheese section (you can probably find this at markets like Whole Foods or Fresh Market). It’s a bit more expensive, but not outrageous. I think I spent $5 on the amount I used in this recipe. If you can’t find the artisan ricotta, a tub will work in this recipe—just be sure to buy the one labeled “whole milk”, you want all the richness and creaminess you can get!

Yield

8

Author

Anna Ramiz

Prep time

45 Min

Cook time

50 Min

Inactive time

6 Hour

Total time

7 H & 34 M

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Pumpkin Ricotta Tart

A step up from the traditional pumpkin pie, this pumpkin ricotta tart deserves a place at your Thanksgiving table. It has a crisp, sweet crust, layers of light and creamy pumpkin ricotta filling and is topped with an olive oil caramel, a handful of cookie crumbs, and whipped crème fraîche.

Ingredients US Metric

for the tart dough (adapted from Nicola Lamb)

• 90 g (just shy of 1 cup) sifted powdered sugar
• 113 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 30 g (1/3 cup) almond flour
• 230 g all purpose flour
• Pinch (about 1/8 tsp) kosher salt
• 1-2 tbsp ice water

for the filling

• 10 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp orange zest
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup (113 g) pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground all spice

for the olive oil caramel

• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (56 g) heavy cream
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of flaky salt

Instructions

to make the tart crust

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sifted powdered sugar and cubed cold butter. Mix on low speed until all of the sugar has been hydrated, mixture is creamy, and no dry spots remain.
2. Add the egg yolk and mix again for about 20 seconds to combine.
3. Add the dry ingredients and continue mixing on medium-low speed until all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated and the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
4. Add one tablespoon of ice water and continue mixing until the dough begins to form large clumps and can be pressed together in your hand. Add the remaining tablespoon of water if needed or dough seems very dry.
5. Turn the dough onto a lightly-floured work surface and press into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
6. When the dough has chilled, turn it back out onto the surface and roll it into a large circle, approximately 1/4” thick. Carefully transfer it to a tart pan with a removable bottom and gently press the dough into the pan. Trim the edges and transfer to the freezer for 15-20 minutes before baking.
7. Preheat the oven 325° F. Line the tart dough with a piece of parchment paper and fill it with rice or baking beans. Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown. Remove the rice/baking beans and return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes until very golden. Let cool completely.

to make the filling

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine ricotta, cream cheese, egg, egg yolk, sugar, orange zest, and salt. Pulse for about 30 seconds, until mixture is very well combined and smooth.
3. Spoon about one 1/3 of the ricotta mixture into a bowl and whisk in pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and all spice.
4. Pour the remaining 2/3 of the ricotta mixture into your prepared tart shell and then top it with the pumpkin filling. Smooth into an even layer.
5. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 50-55 minutes, until the center is set and only slightly wobbly in the middle. Let cool completely, and then wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to chill overnight (or at least 4 hours).

to make the olive oil caramel

1. Place the sugar in a medium saucepan and set it over medium heat. Cook, without stirring, until the sugar begins to liquify. At this point, you can gently swirl the pot to ensure even coking. Continue to cook, watching closely until all of the sugar has dissolved and the caramel is a deep amber color.
2. Gradually whisk in the heavy cream and cook for 1-2 minutes more, until caramel is smooth and golden. Remove from the heat and whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Transfer the caramel to a bowl and let cool completely. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
3. **Take care, after adding the heavy cream, not to cook the caramel for too long- just a minute or two until smooth. Cooking the caramel too long will take it to the “soft ball stage” of sugar cooking and your finished sauce will be thick and chewy, more like caramel candies than a silky smooth sauce.**

Notes:

To make whipped crème fraîche: You can totally go for classic whipped cream on top of this tart if that’s your preference, but I really love the contrasting tang that a whipped crème fraîche provides. Simply combine 2 parts crème fraîche (I love the Vermont Creamery brand), 1 part heavy cream, and a couple of spoonfuls of powdered sugar (how sweet you like your whipped cream is up to you) in a large bowl. Whisk vigorously until the cream is thick and soft peaks form when you lift the whisk out of the bowl. 

Similar Recipes

Pear Tarte Tatin

Roasted Apricot and Ricotta Tart

Cafe Con Leche Cheesecake

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