Moonshine Banana Blondies

"What a strange thing!
to be alive
beneath cherry blossoms."

Kobayashi Issa, in The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, and Issa, translated by Robert Hass

I have a bad habit of mourning the ending of something I love before it's truly even started - an all-consuming book, an impromptu party, a much-anticipated film, lemon cake, a vacation, etc...

Currently I have a massive crush on spring and summer. Of course, in vintage form, all I can think of is their fleeting presence. If only it were possible to place a wedge under the door of time - just so we could linger a little bit longer in the warmth and lush beauty of May, June, July, and yes, even sultry August. (And if only I could figure out how to take my eyes off dark horizons and live in the moment.)

Luckily I can always rely on baking to help me stay focused on "the now." Whiskey helps with "the maybe!"

P.S. I used normal whiskey in this recipe. Moonshine just sounds mysteriously intriguing. 

Lora, of the blog Cake Duchess, just made this NYT recipe too. She made her blondies with the called-for chocolate wafer crust - which I'm sure lent the bars added richness and depth! Unfortunately I didn't have chocolate wafers. Instead I used graham crackers and cinnamon - I think I made up for the absence of chocolate by tossing in a splash of whiskey...at least everyone seems to recall that the blondies were quite addictive.

If you have a few ripe bananas in need of a home, and you're not quite in the mood for bread, this recipe may be just what's needed. The blondie filling is soft and banana-y, with an almost cookie dough-ish texture. (If you don't want to use whiskey, feel free to use rum or vanilla extract instead.) I added a glaze only because the whiskey bottle happened to still be on the counter. It's certainly not required, but who can resist a drizzly glaze?

Wishing everyone a happy May! Please try to savour every single minute of this exquisite time of year! xo

Moonshine Banana Blondies
makes about 25-30 bars

for the crust
1/2 cup (that's 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3 cups graham cracker crumbs (that's about 14 whole graham crackers)
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

for the filling
12 Tablespoons (that's 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
3 mashed, ripe, bananas
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon *whiskey (Or rum. Or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract) *I used Jack Daniels - not actual moonshine* ;)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

for the glaze
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 Tablespoon whiskey (or 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)
1/4 teaspoon salt


method
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper or foil - leave a slight overhang around the edges (for easier removal). Butter the entire lined pan.

Prepare the crust: In the bowl of a large food processor, combine the melted butter, *graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Pulse until the mixture resembles heavy, wet, sand.

*If you're starting off with whole graham crackers, add them to the processor before the other ingredients and pulse until they resemble fine crumbs.

Press the sandy mixture onto the bottom of prepared pan. If it's too sticky, use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crust down into an even layer. Bake for 7-10 minutes - until the surface is firm. Remove from the oven and place the pan onto a cooling rack.

Reduce the oven temp. to 350 F. {Note: You may want to turn it off completely - it takes a while to prepare the filling.}

Prepare the filling: Have a medium heat-proof bowl on hand for the brown butter.
In a large saucepan, melt the 12 Tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Increase the heat to medium and, stirring occasionally, cook the butter until it turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma. Depending on the stove's heat, it can take 5-8 minutes for the butter to brown properly. During this process the butter will first become foamy before changing color, making it difficult to see what's going on. Just be sure to give it a good stir now and then so that the butter doesn't burn. Once it's gorgeous and fragrant, remove the pan from the heat and transfer the butter to a heat-proof bowl. Cool to room temperature. {Note:You want to butter to be cool enough so that it won't scramble the eggs when they're added.}

Once the butter has cooled down, preheat the oven to 350 F. (If you turned it off.)

In a separate large mixing bowl - whisk together the mashed bananas, eggs, brown sugar, and whiskey. Add the cool brown butter and whisk until well combined. Add the flour and salt - use a large rubber spatula to fold the flour into the batter until just combined (try not to over mix).

Scrape the batter over the partially-baked crust. Use an offset spatula to spread the batter into an even layer. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes up with only a few moist crumbs. {Note: Mine took only 32 minutes, so be sure to check at the 30 minute mark.}

Remove the pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Cool completely before adding the glaze. Once the bars are cool, use the parchment or foil over hang to gently lift them from the pan - run a thin knife along the edges of the pan if needed.

Prepare the glaze: In a large mixing bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, whiskey, and salt. Whisk until smooth. If it's too thick to drizzle, add about 1 teaspoon of whiskey (or cream), whisk to combine. Use a spoon or fork to drizzle the glaze over the cooled bars.

adapted from NYT