Columns, Recipes

Making Halloween Magic In The Kitchen: Wicked Witch’s Poisoned Apple Blondies With Cinnamon Maple Glaze

Posted by Krista on

While the apples in this recipe may not actually be poisoned, they do provide the perfect element of Fall flavor to represent the season. When it comes to choosing which apples to use, it comes down to personal preference. We chose to pick up some Pink Lady apples from our local farmer’s market, but Ambrosia, SweetTango, or Jazz apples would all work just as well. We highly recommend supporting local growers, but also suggest grabbing your favorite flavor for making this delicious treat. These apple bars prove that not everything October has to be pumpkin or pumpkin spice!

Wicked Witch’s Poisoned Apple Blondies with Cinnamon Maple Glaze

Disclaimer: This recipe was originally written by Tieghan Gerard and titled “Brown Butter Apple Blondies With Cinnamon Maple Glaze”. The recipe below is based on that recipe but has had several alterations made to it to fit our personal preferences, local suppliers, and to adapt it for the spooky theme of Halloween. The original recipe can be found at Half-Baked Harvest. Gerard also includes in-depth directions with photos, recipes of her own for the apple butter she uses when making these, and many helpful tips on her website that I highly recommend checking out.

Serving Size:
24 bars
Time:
45 minutes
Difficulty:
Easy

Blondies Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup apple butter
  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 Pink Lady apples, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups chopped apples)

Blondies Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
  2. Add the butter to a medium pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown, until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Stir often. Remove from the heat and stir in the apple butter and 1 cup brown sugar. Let cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, mixing until just combined. Spread the dough out into the prepared dish.
  3. In a bowl, toss the apples with 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Evenly sprinkle the apples over the dough. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, just until set in the center. If there is liquid in the center, swirl it around the pan, then bake another 5 minutes. Let cool.

Cinnamon Maple Glaze Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons real maple syrup
  • 1/2 – 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 pinch flaky sea salt
  • Halloween colored food coloring of your choice and/or sprinkles

Cinnamon Maple Glaze Directions

  1. Add the butter to a small pot set over medium heat.
  2. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes.
  3. Remove from the heat and whisk in the maple syrup, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
  4. Tint with food coloring to desired shade and drizzle the glaze over the bars.
  5. Allow glaze to set before cutting into bars, about 5 minutes.

All photos for this article were taken and edited by Krista.