Spumoni Blondies
I have a feeling we’re all a little cookied out. But this year seemed to be the year of the cookie swap, and I’ve loved seeing all the festivities celebrating the multitude of cookies that abound. Recently, my aunt hosted a cookie swap, asking each of us who went to bake 8 dozen cookies! You heard that right. My first instinct was to create something fun but easy to make, form, and bake. I took my favorite blondie base and transformed it into spumoni bars. I’ve been eying spumoni on pinterest for weeks.
Spumoni and Neopolitan Have Different Profiles
I always confused the two because their layers look similar. Italian Spumoni has origins in Naploli, Italy, and it’s gelato (milk-based), with whipped cream folded in, making it a semi-fredo frozen treat. The layers of gelato are flavored with pistachio, cherry, and chocolate and often formed in a rectangular loaf-style pan for slicing. My first encounter with spumoni was a chocolate-covered frozen sphere. If I remember correctly at the center was a marashino cherry. There are variations using vanilla in place of chocolate or almond flavor added to the cherry layer. The Neapolitan dessert is ice cream opposed to gelato, with layers of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla instead.
Blondies Are Basically Chocolate Chip Cookies
Your instincts are correct on this one. The blondie is just like a chocolate chip cookie disguised as a bar, but without the chocolate chips. The melted butter makes a gooey, soft texture. The addition of granulated sugar makes the top crackly like a brownie, and the crunchy brown sugar gives you the chew factor.
I love making variations of blondies; from chocolate chunk espresso, peanut butter, apple, and now spumoni. Blondies and brownies are my jam. Especially a fudgy, slightly underbaked center piece.
Spumoni Blondies
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 c. (200 g.) all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp. baking soda
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
- 3/4 c. (160 g.) packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 c. (66 g.) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 oz. dark chocolate chips
- 8 oz. marashino cherries, finely crushed
- 3 oz. pistachios, finley crushed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and line an 8”x 8” baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl combine flour, salt, and baking soda.
- In a medium bowl stir butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined. Whisk in egg until a silky mixture forms.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
- Divide dough into thirds. Fold cocoa and chocolate chips into one third, cherries into one third, and pistachios into another third.
- Spread chocolate dough on the bottom of the pan. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up. Spread the cherry layer on top of the chocolate layer. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes. Spread pistachio layer on top of cherry layer. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges. They will be slightly fudgy in the center. Cool for about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Cut into desired pieces (12 is my rec.) and serve. Tip: Freeze for up to 1 month, thaw and enjoy.
