Coconut Blondies

I think the Secretary Spread is setting in. While my LinkedIn will eagerly offer up a flashier title, I am, essentially, a glorified secretary. Now with that high-powered, oft-envied position comes a whole host of side effects.

Carpal tunnel syndrome from fervently clicking away from Vice and back to Bloomberg whenever a colleague comes near me. A hunchback so pronounced I'll be fending off Esmerelda's advances for the foreseeable future. A serious case of 4:00 o'clock ennui. And, thanks to my subsequent 4:00 o'clock croissant run, the dreaded Secretary Spread.

By no means am I left sheepishly asking the flight attendant for a seatbelt extender just yet, but I've finally resigned myself to the fact that I might need to cut back. If just a little.

That's where these blondies come in. They're fudgy with a deep toffee flavor, and they're rich enough that you really won't notice they're lightened up. They're an evolved version of those three-ingredient peanut butter cookies that have been floating around the internet for some time now, which means they're quick to whip up and have a short ingredient list.

Coconut Blondies
Makes 12 bars

1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup cashew butter
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup shredded coconut, plus more for sprinkling if desired
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt
Beans scraped from one vanilla pod
1/3 cup roughly chopped dark chocolate
Fleur de sel, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together almond butter, cashew butter, eggs, and coconut sugar until smooth and cohesive. Add shredded coconut, baking powder, salt, and vanilla beans. Beat to combine until dough forms a ball. Spread into prepared baking sheet. Scatter chocolate and extra shredded coconut over the top. Sprinkle with fleur de sel. Bake for 20 minutes, until risen and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

More Blondie Recipes
Olive Oil Blondies with Chocolate Frosting
Infinitely Adaptable Blondies
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars