Baklava Blondies

Baklava Blondies - The First Edition

It's hard to say why I might fixate on a particular idea.  In the case of this Baklava Blondie perhaps my preoccupation was the result of having watched the EZGlutenFree Snickerdoodle Blondie video until it streamed on auto-play in my mind.  I couldn't help but wonder how the Gluten Free Epicure might have delivered a dessert that was far more sensually intoxicating.  


As a point of reference, the video I’m referring to can be found just below.  And below the video you'll find the Baklava Blondie chronicle as recounted by the Gluten Free Epicure.  The climax in this chronicle has not yet been reached.  As the recipe evolves into a fuller epicurean experience this chronicle will reflect the evolution.       

The Video That Launched The Journey

As you might have guessed, I'd made a batch of these Snickerdoodle Blondies and they were indeed delicious.  But regardless of how good they were, several days later I found myself with a rectangular piece measuring 3 x 4 inches.   

Something in those blondies reminded me Baklava.  The walnuts and spices took me on a mental journey to the first time I sunk my teeth into the sweet, syrup soaked, middle eastern pastry.  The crunchy sugar that topped the blondies vaguely mirrored the crispy layers in Baklava.  What was clear is that I wanted a piece of that crunchy, sticky pastry in the worst way. 

And so, I set out on a mission to transform that leftover snickerdoodle blondie into something a little closer to the baklava experience. 

Baklava Blondies Cut Into Parallelogram Shapes

First I trimmed a scalene triangle from each of the two short ends of the rectangle and was left with fairly large parallelogram.  Using a serrated knife, I further dissected the shape until I was left with a quadruplet of tiny parallelograms.   I placed them onto a piece of aluminum foil then pulled the foil snugly up around the edges for a close fit.   The little packet of pastries was then placed in the bottom of an airtight container for easier storage in the fridge later.  Now on to the syrup.

Syrup Ladled over Baklava Blondies

 For a tiny batch of Baklava Syrup:

• ¼  cup honey
• 1 tbsp water
• ¼  cup sugar
• sprinkle of cinnamon
• zest of ½ an orange 

I didn't even dirty a saucepan here, opting intead for a ceramic bowl and a quick 3 minute trip on high in the microwave to produce what appeared to be an acceptable syrup.  I then ladled this syrup over the blondies and stored them in the fridge until later that evening for a taste test.  

Baklava Blondies

The result was finger-lickingly delicious.  In the epicure's journey there is no pass or fail.  Each attempt merely  another step along the quest towards a more luxurious experience.  These syrup soaked walnut laden baklava blondies awaken the senses on a far more intense level than the way they began their short lived pastry lives.  

Yet, thinking like an epicure, I'm already spinning a web of ideas.  The list of changes that will bring these baklava blondies to an even more intoxicating level is already underway.  I’ll take my time and contemplate the changes for a while before returning to this chronicle with an even more epicurean  rendition.  Feel free to add your own ideas in the comments section.   

And, follow the blog so you won’t miss the next entry in the Baklava Blondie chronicle.  

Until next time, much love from the gfE.