Recipe

Blondies with Pecan Praline Sauce

The classic treat gets a butterscotch makeover drizzled with Southern sweetness

Recipe by Vera Stewart

March 16, 2023

Photo: Peter Frank Edwards

A great alternative to a brownie that all your guests will love! The right amount of chew with a slight crunch on top. Although great by themselves, the pecan praline sauce is the perfect finishing touch. You can also serve these with a dollop of whipped cream if you are looking to go above and beyond. —Vera Stewart from her new cookbook, The VeryVera Cookbook: Occasions.

Ingredients

Blondies with Pecan Praline Sauce (Yield: 48 2-inch squares)
- Baking spray
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 1 (11-oz.) package butterscotch morsels
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
For the praline sauce
- 1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tbsp. Tony Chachere’s Praline Honey Ham Injectable Marinade
- ¾ cup pecan halves, roughly chopped (optional)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a (13 x 18-inch) rimmed sheet pan with baking spray.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Place the butterscotch and butter in a heat-safe glass bowl. Set over a pot of hot (not boiling) water and melt the butterscotch and butter, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and transfer the melted mixture to a large stand mixer bowl.

Stir the brown sugar into the butterscotch mixture. Cool at room temperature for 5 minutes.

Beat the eggs and vanilla extract into the butterscotch mixture in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Slowly add in the flour mixture, then add the nuts. Beat until all ingredients are fully combined.

Spread the blondie batter into the prepared pan and bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean.

Remove the pan from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into 2-inch squares.

To make the optional praline sauce, stir together the sweetened condensed milk and the marinade in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 2–3 minutes, or until heated through and slightly thickened. Stir well.

Spoon over the cut blondies and top with more chopped pecans, if desired.