Marzipan and toasted cashews add sweetness, crunch to slimmed-down blondies

• This is a best of Lean and Lovin' It column, first published Dec. 13, 2017. Don Mauer is taking some time off.

Imagine reading the following: “This might be my perfect bar cookie recipe: buttery, rich, and studded with chewy pockets of sweet marzipan and crunchy bits of toasted cashews.”

Are you salivating yet? I did.

That tantalizing sentence was written in 2017 by Posie Harwood about her Toasted Cashew and Marzipan Blondies.

Marzipan?

You've probably seen brightly-colored candies made with marzipan, all almond-scented and sweet; think mini carrots with greens that decorate some carrot cakes. Marzipan comes as a dough-like compound made from (depending on the brand) a mixture of almonds, sugar, water, bitter almond oil (synthetic), and potassium sorbate (a preservative).

There are also plenty of homemade marzipan recipes, including Martha Stewart’s. Stewart’s is a simple combination of almond paste, light corn syrup and confectioners' sugar. For my re-envisioning of Harwood's bar cookies, I used a commercial marzipan product. Some other time, I'll try making marzipan from scratch.

For Harwood, using marzipan to boost her bar cookie's flavor and texture wasn't nearly enough. Nor was simply adding cashews to her cookies for a flavor boost and a crunch. Harwood toasted her cashews too, to kick their flavor up a notch.

Harwood wasn't done there, though. Oh, no. She added bigger-flavor-than-semi-sweet dark chocolate chips, as well as white chocolate chips to her cookie's batter. One unique twist; half the white chocolate chips went into the dough, and she melted the other half together with the butter. Interesting.

I'm as certain as I can be that the way Harwood made her bar cookies delivered excellent results. No doubt. However, I raised an eyebrow at the stick-and-a-half of butter and the cup of sugars (half granulated, half brown) that went into her cookies.

Good old drained, unsweetened, unflavored applesauce could stand in for half the butter and trim more than 600 calories and nearly 70 fat grams.

By eliminating the half cup of granulated sugar and substituting 12 packets of organic stevia, I could give-the-boot to an additional 387 calories and 100 sugar grams.

With so many big-flavored ingredients in those bar cookies, I was certain no one would miss half the fat and sugar.

One of the many good things about this cookie is how easy it comes together; no mixer needed. Yes, there were some elevated hassle-factors — roasting nuts and melting butter and chocolate before combining everything.

The aroma of roasting cashews was enticing, but the baking bar cookies smelled even better. I learned that these cookies cut better when the pan has cooled to room temperature.

How did they taste?

Harwood may have overstated the fabulousness of these bar cookies, but not by much. They're truly wonderful, and everyone with whom I shared them raved about them and was amazed that I'd cut the butter by half, as well as the sugar. Some suggested I make a plateful for their holiday gift. Uh-oh.

• Don Mauer welcomes questions, comments and recipe makeover requests. Write to him at 1leanwizard@gmail.com.

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Cashews, Chocolate and Marzipan Bar Cookies

6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter

¾ cup (4.5 ounces) white chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)

1½ cups (6¾ ounces) all-purpose, unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ cup (3.5 ounces) dark brown sugar, loosely packed

6 tablespoons drained, unsweetened, organic applesauce (from about ½-cup undrained)

12 packets organic stevia (equal to ½-cup sugar)

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 ounces marzipan, chopped into small pieces

1 cup chopped cashews, toasted*

¼ cup (1.5 ounces) dark chocolate chips

Place the oven rack in the center position and begin heating the oven to 350°F. Spray the interior bottom and sides of an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with vegetable oil. Line the pan's bottom with parchment paper and spray the parchment with vegetable oil. Set aside.

Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a medium mixing bowl and whisk together until combined. Set aside.

Place the butter and half of the white chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Microwave until the butter melts, then stir together until the white chocolate melts fully. (This can also be done in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium-low heat.)

Let the butter mixture cool slightly, then add the brown sugar, drained applesauce and stevia and whisk until combined.

Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until fully mixed in. Mix in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix until the batter just comes together.

Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the marzipan, toasted cashews and remaining white chocolate chips and dark chocolate chips. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and set but still slightly soft in the middle to the touch.

Cool completely before slicing. Makes 32, 1-by-2-inch bar cookies.

*Toasting cashews: Once the oven reaches 350°F, place cashews in a single layer in a sheet pan and roast for 12-13 minutes, turning twice.

Substitution: 4 ounces almond paste may be substituted for the marzipan.

Nutrition values per cookie: 124 calories (52% from fat), 7.3 g fat (3.4 g saturated fat), 14 g carbohydrates, 7 g sugars, 0.6 g fiber, 2.4 g protein, 19 mg cholesterol, 60 mg sodium.

— Don Mauer