Iced Muscovado Caramel-Nut Blondies

MAKES SIXTEEN 2-INCH BAR COOKIES

What’s not to love about a rich, chewy blondie packed with brown sugar flavor and studded with toasty nuts? Add to that a slick of sweet-salty frosting that’s based on those glorious, shiny, old-fashioned caramel icings, and I’d say we’re in business.

BLONDIES

1 cup (4¼ ounces/120 grams) whole wheat pastry flour, spooned and leveled

¾ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ cup (1 stick/4 ounces/113 grams) unsalted butter, browned and slightly cooled (see How to Brown Butter)

¾ cup (6 ounces/170 grams) firmly packed dark muscovado sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup (2 ounces/57 grams) chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts (see How to Toast Nuts)

ICING

⅓ cup (2⅝ ounces/75 grams) firmly packed dark muscovado sugar

3 tablespoons (1½ ounces/43 grams) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) milk

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

⅓ cup (1⅜ ounces/39 grams) organic confectioners’ sugar

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350˚F. Lightly grease an 8 × 8-inch square baking pan and line it with an 8-inch-wide strip of parchment paper or aluminum foil, long enough to leave a few inches of overhang on 2 opposite sides of the pan.

2. Make the blondies: Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. In a large bowl, energetically whisk together the butter and sugar until the sugar has begun to absorb the butter and dissolve, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract. Switch to a spatula and fold in the flour mixture until well blended. Fold in the pecans or walnuts. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until golden and set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 22 minutes—don’t overbake them, or they’ll dry out. Let cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.

4. Make the icing: Combine the sugar, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Melt together over medium heat, stirring often with a heatproof spatula. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir in the milk. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the vanilla extract. Dump in the confectioners’ sugar and stir the icing energetically for about 3 minutes, or until the icing is thickened and smooth, is beginning to lose some gloss, and is a touch lighter in color—more of a thin icing than a pourable glaze.

5. Top the blondies with the icing and spread it evenly with a spatula. Let the icing set in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before cutting and serving the blondies. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.