Christmas Sorghum Blondies with Pomegranate and Pecans

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Sorghum blondies are every bit as delicious as regular blondies. Maybe even better. They are super moist and studded with toasted pecans and pomegranate arils to make them festive for Christmas.

Feel free to leave out the pomegranate (or not) and make them whenever the situation calls for blondies!

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In Praise of Sorghum Syrup

My friend Lisa recently sent me two large jars of sorghum syrup, and I have been having a marvelous time coming up with new ways to use it.

Pouring it on these pumpkin dinner rolls and making a cinnamon sorghum custard pie. Huzzah!

If you’ve never had sorghum before, think molasses without the bitterness, and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what sorghum syrup tastes like.

Since it’s a bit caramely already, I decided that using some in a blondies recipe was a good idea, and I was right. These Sorghum blondies are delicious. Moist and with an incredible depth of flavor.

To Christmas them up some, I added pomegranate arils and toasted pecans. I have to tell you, both additions work beautifully. I didn’t have any qualms over adding the pecans, but I was a bit unsure about the arils. The bursts of bright flavor work well though.

Testing These Sorghum Blondies

Since the arils leach some of their moisture into the batter, my first batch of blondies (pictured) were a touch on the too wet side, especially after being stored for a few days.

I made another batch and charged some ground flax seed with the job of soaking up any of the excess liquid, and it has taken its job very seriously. The result? Pretty perfect!

Credit Where Credit Is Due

The original recipe for molasses brownies comes from Russell van Kraayenburg’s wonderful blog, Chasing Delicious. (Now defunct, I’m afraid.)

I made the obvious modification of replacing molasses with sorghum, added in a couple of mix-ins and decreased the baking powder and butter. Otherwise, these babies are another version of his blondies.

This sorghum blondies recipe would be right at home on a Christmas dessert buffet since the pomegranate arils make them look so festive, but these would also be the perfect bar cookie to tuck into a lunchbox or into your face whenever the mood strikes. They’re super easy to put together–no mixer required.

Just two bowls, a whisk and a 9″ x 13″ pan. Let’s get to it, shall we?

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Christmas Sorghum Blondies with Pomegranate and Pecans

Yield: 24 -36 bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

These sorghum blondies are moist and taste deeply of sorghum syrup, the south's answer to all other sweeteners. The mellow crunch of toasted pecans and the bright pops of pomegranate make these bars truly special.
All dry measurements are in weight. Liquids, I measured by volume this time. Just so you know.

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Ingredients

• 8.5 oz all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 sticks, (6 oz) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 14 oz light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sorghum syrup
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups toasted pecans, , divided (chopped or whole--your choice)
• arils from 1 to 1 1/2 medium sized pomegranates, , about 1 cup

Instructions

1. Line a 9" x 13"* baking pan with parchment (or use a high-quality non-stick baking pan. I have a recommendation for you below).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger and salt. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, sorghum syrup and eggs until smooth. Fold in one cup of the nuts and the pomegranate arils.
4. Scrape the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold/stir gently until well combined and there is no loose flour wafting about.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
6. Press the remaining pecans onto the top of the batter, either haphazardly or in some sort of pattern.
7. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 30 miutes, or until the bars are deeply golden brown and set. The internal temperature in the center of the pan should be 200-205F.

Notes

*I baked the blondies in these photos in a 9" x 9" pan, and that's why they're a bit taller than a "normal" bar cookie. You can use either size pan, but with a 9" x 9" pan, they'll be more like snack cakes than blondies. They'll also take an extra 5-10 minutes to bake.

And here’s your holiday printable recipe card. Please feel free to download this template (or all three of the ones I’ve designed) from my Free Printable Christmas Recipe Cards post.

And there you have it. I really hope you enjoy these blondies, and I know you will enjoy the sorghum. Please give it a try!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read today. Hope your holidays are wonderful. Take care, and have a lovely day.

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