Moist, chewy, and quite irresistible, these sweet blondies can be indulged in with impunity. The surprising inclusion of white beans adds protein and heart-healthy fibre, and it makes these squares the perfect guilt-free snack.
If you’re not an apricot lover, don’t fret. You can use many jam and dried fruit substitutions to make these scrumptious blondies, such as
- strawberry jam and dried strawberries
- blackcurrant jam and dried blackcurrants
- cherry jam and dried sweet cherries (not the sour variety)
Sesame Apricot Blondies
Ingredients
- 8 dried apricots
- 1 tsp (5 mL) coconut oil
- 1 - 15 oz (425 mL) can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) + 1 Tbsp (15 mL) fruit-sweetened apricot jam, divided
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) tahini (sesame seed paste)
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) coconut nectar or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) rice or whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) shredded coconut (optional)
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories205
- protein7g
- fat6g
- saturated fat2g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates32g
- sugars13g
- fibre6g
- sodium17mg
Directions
01
Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
02
Put dried apricots in small bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside. Lightly grease bottom and sides of 8 x 8 in (20 x 20 cm) baking pan with coconut oil.
03
In blender or food processor, combine beans, 1/4 cup (60 mL) jam, tahini, syrup, flour, and vanilla. Blend until thoroughly mixed and smooth.
04
Pour mixture into prepared pan and spread evenly. Spoon 1 Tbsp (15 mL) jam on top and spread evenly over blondie mixture.
05
Drain apricots and snip each in half. Arrange on top of blondie mixture. If using shredded coconut, sprinkle on top. Bake blondie for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool in pan and slice into squares.
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Tourtière AU Cerf
Tourtière is, for me, the dish that best represents Québec. It can be traced back to the 1600s, and there’s no master recipe; every family has their own twist. Originally, it was made with game birds or game meat, like rabbit, pheasant, or moose; that’s one of the reasons why I prefer it with venison instead of beef or pork. Variation: If you prefer to make single servings, follow our lead at the restaurant, where we make individual tourtières in the form of a dome (pithivier) and fill them with 5 ounces (160 g) of the ground venison mixture. Variation: You can also use a food processor to make the dough. Place the flour, salt, and butter in the food processor and pulse about ten times, until the butter is incorporated—don’t overmix. It should look like wet sand, and a few little pieces of butter here and there is okay. With the motor running, through the feed tube, slowly add ice water until the dough forms a ball—again don’t overmix. Wrap, chill, and roll out as directed above.
Artichauts en Barigoule
My love of artichokes continues with this classic recipe, one of the best ways to eat this interesting, underrated, and strange vegetable. Frozen artichoke hearts are a time-saving substitute, though the flavour and texture of fresh artichokes are, by far, much superior and definitely preferred.
Cervelle de Canut
Cervelle de canut is basically the Boursin of France, an herbed fresh farmer’s cheese spread that’s a speciality of Lyon. The name is kind of weird, as it literally means “silk worker’s brain,” named after nineteenth-century Lyonnaise silk workers, who were called canuts. Sadly, the name reflects the low opinion of the people towards these workers. Happily for us, though, it’s delicious—creamy, fragrant, and fresh at the same time. Cervelle de canut is one of my family’s favourite dishes. It’s a great make-ahead appetizer that you can pop out of the fridge once your guests arrive. Use a full-fat cream cheese for the dish, or it will be too runny and less delicious.