Japanese Blondies

Golden brownies baked to perfection with bits of butter, brown sugar, red azuki beans. 

This recipe is adapted from Jessie Oleson Moore's The Secret Lives of Baked Goods.

Ingredients: 
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons corn flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs, whisked lightly
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup red azuki bean paste (anko in Japanese, available in most Asian markets)
  • 1½ cups coarsely chopped pecans
  • Gingerbread sugar boys and chocolate cookies bits for optional garnish
Directions: 

Prepare a 9 x 13 inch pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper and baking spray.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sift the flours, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar with the paddle attachment. Allow five minutes for a fluffy butter and brown sugar mixture to appear. One at a time, add the eggs. Pour in the vanilla. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients. Scrape the bowl often.

Fill the prepared pan with the batter. Drop generous tablespoons of azuki red bean paste equally over the mixture.

Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center has only a very few clinging crumbs. Garnish with pecans and if desired, gingerbread sugar boys and chocolate biscuit cookie bits.