Blondies with Chia Seeds

A blond making blondies, now THAT'S a Sunday! Any of my regular readers (aka my Mother and Christine) probably notice my desire to cook desserts on Sundays. This ensures I have a dessert to eat all week, and helps keep me away from a gummy bear massacre. It can get ugly, and full of red dye.

Good friends of mine make these little guys all the time, and I always have a hard time stopping at just one. I must confess I am not the hugest fan of brownies, I know how could I, but of all the incredible desserts out there, I think I can do better than brownies. Give me a brownie ice cream sunday and Ill grab a spoon, but I don't crave them.

Using chia gel again, which turned out beautifully. It cuts the amount of butter you have to use in half, which cuts out a lot of the fat. Of course making a dessert will almost never be "healthy", but these are healthier than any packaged cookie or candy bar you buy in the store. I find if I try to go all week without any sweets, I end up not being so...sweet, as it were, so I just keep working on moderation. Tis the key.

You can use 12 tablespoons of butter if you do not have chia gel, but I again encourage yall to try it. Look for Chia seeds in health food stores in the bulk section. A pound can be anywhere from $20-$30 bucks so if you can find it in a bulk section you can purchase a small amount and give it a try.


To make Chia Gel: To make 9 tablespoons or 1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon of chia gel, you put 9 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of chia seeds in a bowl. Mix the seeds slightly, and then let rest for at least 20 minutes. It will create a gel, that looks grayish. It doesn't look appetizing, but doesn't taste bad. Try it, its mostly taste like water, with funny squishy things floating in it. To see pictures, view my previous post: chocolate chip cookies with chia seeds

Chocolate Note: You can really use any chocolate you want, just make sure its 6 ounces or 1 cup. I wanted  to try white and dark chocolate together, but you could use dark and milk, dark and peanut butter, all dark, all milk, the possibilities are what you make them. Chocolate possibilities.....yummy.....
Same thing with nuts, I used walnuts but pecans would be just as tasty. As always make sure you toast them first, it makes a big difference in the final outcome of your blondies. 

Blondies with Chia Seeds

The Goods: Makes about 20 big squares

1 cup walnuts or pecans

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon table salt

6 tablespoons butter or earth balance, melted and cooled

6 tablespoons chia seed gel(see note)

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 ounces white chocolate bar, roughly chopped

3 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped(see note)

The Deal:

1. Heat a saute pan on medium heat, add nuts to pan and toast until they omit a nutty smell, about 8-10 minutes. Do NOT let them burn, they burn quickly, so flip the nuts frequently. 

2. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 13 by 9 inch baking pan with butter or spray. 

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl, set aside. 

4. Whisk melted butter, chia seed gel, and brown sugar together in a large bowl until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold flour mixture into egg mixture until just combined, do not over mix. Fold in chocolate and nuts and turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. 

melted butter, chia gel, and sugar

Adding flour slowly into wet mixture

Adding chocolate and nuts

5. Bake until top is shiny, cracked and light golden brown, about 22 to 25 minutes. Careful not to overbake, once you are close to time, check every few minutes to ensure you do not over bake. 

6. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving, and cut into squares.