Baking Blogger Blondies

The more I continue to blog, the more I realize just how fortunate I am to even be a part of the blogging world - especially since I gain so much inspiration from my fellow bloggers when it comes to cooking and baking. The baking project that I engaged in just this past weekend illustrates this fact quite clearly (and deliciously as well, if I do say so myself).

Since I am quite indecisive when it comes to figuring out what to bake next (and since comments from my family, such as, "we love everything that you bake, so you can bake anything for us!" certainly do not help the process, haha), I often rely on my fellow bloggers for inspiration. For instance, if a blogger features a treat with a certain ingredient that peaks my interest, then I will figure out a way to incorporate that ingredient into a treat of my own.

Also, as a vegan (and gluten-free!!) baker, I love viewing the latest confections of those who bake "the traditional way," since this enables me to challenge myself with veganizing and "gluten-free-izing" (yes, a new word!! haha) the recipe.

The "traditional baking recipes" are actually my favorite types of recipes to gain inspiration from; and I was inspired by such a recipe (which I bookmarked to try this past weekend!) that comes from a certain fellow blogger whom I have "known" for quite some time now: Cookie Baker Lynn.

I have been reading/following Lynn's blog for quite a while - even before I started my own blog (which was in June 2007)!! Not only are her baked goods (both sweet and savory) incredibly tantalizing and elegantly-presented, but the stories that she shares in each blog post are so intricately and beautifully-written, that you feel as if you are experiencing everything that she writes about, firsthand. Lynn is truly a gifted blogger, and if you have not viewed her blog yet, I highly suggest that you do so, after reading the rest of this post ;0)

So how does all of this relate to the title of my post for today?? Well, about one month ago, Lynn posted about the latest batch of blondies that she made. While this fact alone was enough to make me swoon (since I adore baking and eating blondies), there was something else quite exciting about this particular post - it said that she baked the blondies to satisfy a request made by VeggieGirl... hey, wait a minute - that's me!!

Yes, it did take a moment for it to register that the blondies were made, after I had requested that Lynn bake this particular treat, haha. Aside from baking the blondies, she also wrote the most heartwarming statements, which truly brightened my spirits. Lynn, you are a gem, and do not let anyone tell you otherwise!!

Since Lynn was so kind enough to satisfy my request for blondies, I thought that I would create a "vegan cousin" (as Lynn puts it, in her post, haha) to her sensational blondies. Below, you will find my veganized, "gluten-free-ized" recipe for the blondies - I hope that they please all of you, as well as Lynn (the inspiration!!) as well:





VeggieGirl's Veganized Walnut Blondies

(**Adapted from the Walnut Bars recipe on the Cookie Baker Lynn blog**)


• 6 ounces (1 single-serving sized container) plain or vanilla vegan "yogurt" (I used So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt - it's soy-free!!)

• 1/4 cup canola oil

• 1 cup sugar (I used organic turbinado sugar)

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 2 teaspoons molasses (I used the Plantation brand of blackstrap molasses)

• 1.25 cups flour (I used Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour)

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1.5 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped

• Nondairy "milk" of choice, added to the batter as needed (**Note: I used Living Harvest hempmilk, and ended up adding about 1/2 cup of the stuff to the batter)

• Caramel sauce (I used Santa Cruz Organic vegan caramel syrup), optional for serving purposes




Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly coat an 8"x8" baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, add in the "yogurt," canola oil, turbinado sugar, vanilla extract, and molasses. Mix well.

In the same bowl, add in the flour, baking soda, and chopped walnuts. As the mixture starts to thicken up/combine, add as much nondairy "milk" as you need (but not too much) so that the batter is mixable.

Pour mixture into the 8"x8" baking pan (coated generously with nonstick cooking spray).

Bake for about 32-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the blondies comes out clean.

Drizzle with caramel sauce for serving, if desired.

Makes 16 blondies.





Luscious, dense, gooey, chewy, and slightly crunchy - these words appropriately describe my take on the Walnut Blondies (which I enjoyed with a drizzle of caramel sauce, as pictured above - holy yum!!); but what did my "taste-testers" think??

My parents thought that the blondies were "very moist, and not overly heavy or sweet; especially liked the big pieces of walnut within the delicious texture of the cake itself; very tasty"; and here is what The Co-Worker thought:



**Here is The Co-Worker's official review of the Walnut Blondies**:



MOIST. CHEWY. AND REAL CHUNKY! That describes these walnut blondies.

If you’re looking for something sweet to eat, try a Snickers. These give you something that sticks to your gut…. AND is good for you with the walnuts. As much as I would love salted walnuts… or a few chocolate chips mixed in… that would ruin the “healthy feeling” I got after eating one.

Be healthy and give one of these a try… but don’t think it’s going to be full of salt, sugar and FAT… it’s full of something much better.




As an avid blondie-baker (and eater), I was so ecstatic to have the opportunity to veganize/"gluten-free-ize" this blondie recipe - especially since the recipe came from such an incredibly talented, genuine, and passionate blogger/baker, Lynn. Thanks again, Lynn, for allowing me the opportunity to bake not just any batch of blondies, but a batch of blogger blondies! :0)