Imbolc Golden Goddess Blondies
Celebrate Imbolc like a God Or Goddess, with these decadent, ultra rich Blondies!
Imbolc is a sacred pagan festival that marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. Imbolc translates as, " in the belly of the mother", referring to the seeds of spring that are stirring below the ground in the belly of Mother Earth. This holiday honours Bríg, the Celtic goddess of fertility, childbirth, fire, and poetry, among many other attributes. She is the patron of blacksmiths, bakers, dairy farmers and anyone who's profession is fueled by the alchemical processes of fire.
It is customary to light candles in every window of your home as an offering to, "call back the sun's radiance'', and brighten the dull midwinter nights. An Imbolc feast is always in order, where family and friends gather, illuminated by candlelight, to share dishes made from the last of winter's harvest and indulge in rich, buttery dishes like golden oat cakes, breads, confections and other dairy inspired delights.
In my home, we have a more modern take on Imbolc. Our midwinter celebration table always includes decadent, melt- in- your- mouth Blondies. Their fresh baked golden hue reminds me of the warm summer sun and their gooey caramel goodness chases the winter blues away. It is like sunshine on a plate! We also make an extra batch to freeze and keep on hand, for when unexpected company pops in for tea. Its a perfect, quick, no fuss treat anytime.
So get baking, grab a hot blondie ( no pun intended) and curl up by the fire with a cup of tea and get hygge!
***Non-dairy fans, don't fret! I also offer my Vegan alternative in the ingredients below that is just as delicious!
Golden Goddess Blondie Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup (225g) organic butter, melted or ** Vegan Butter
1 cup (170g) light brown sugar
1 cup (170g) dark brown sugar
2 organic eggs (room temperature) or **Vegan Alt. 6 tablespoons of Aqua Faba
1 tablespoon organic Vanilla extract
2 cups (284g) organic all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
11/2 cups (255g) organic white chocolate chips *( Sub for Vegan Chocolate chips )
1/2 cup organic macadamia nuts roughly chopped
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 20x20 cm tin with parchment paper, lightly butter the paper and set aside.
Melt the butter slightly in the microwave for 25-30 seconds or in a pot on the stovetop. Make sure not to boil butter or let it get too hot! **allow butter to cool a few minutes before use.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter and Brown sugars.
Stir the eggs and vanilla into the mixture.
Using a hand sifter, mix in the flour and salt and stir it together with a spatula. Once the batter is evenly combined fold in the white chocolate chips and chopped macadamia nuts.
Transfer the batter into your lined tin, and bake for roughly 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown, and the middle is just set. To achieve the perfect blondie on the inside you want to make sure you bake them for just the right amount of time and don't over bake them.
Allow the blondies to completely cool in the tin before removing them from the parchment paper and cutting.
Cut the blondies into 9 squares and enjoy them gooey and warm!
Cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. These baked blondies can be frozen once cooled and kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Imbolc blessings for a prosperous year ahead!