The Unexpected Ingredient Gordon Ramsay Adds To His Blondies
If you have a sweet tooth, then chances are you always leave room for dessert. When scanning through a typical dessert menu, there's one ingredient that almost always shows up without fail: chocolate. From chocolate chip cookies to a heavenly slice of chocolate cake, when you need a chocolate fix, there are always plenty of dessert options to go around.
But while they might not get quite the same rep, vanilla desserts are not to be overshadowed by their chocolate counterparts. Light, subtle, and sweet, these timeless treats are the perfect alternative for when you aren't craving something rich and heavy. From buttercream cake and custard to a scoop of good ol' vanilla ice cream, there are so many recipes out there for vanilla lovers.
Another vanilla-flavored dessert that is anything boring? Blondies. While some people may think of blondies as merely inferior brownies, this vanilla dessert is a unique and delicious treat in and of itself. In an episode of his "Ultimate Cookery Course" YouTube show, Gordon Ramsay revealed the unusual ingredient that he adds to his blondie recipe to give it a little extra oomph.
Gordon Ramsay adds dried cranberries and white chocolate to his blondie mix
According to The Kitchn, there are a few key factors to creating a flawless batch of blondies. A truly delicious, yet simple blondie recipe must "have a chewy texture, a rich butterscotch flavor, and a good balance of mix-ins that didn't overpower the bar." Ina Garten likes adding chocolate chunks to her blondie bars, while Sarah Kieffer likes chucking some toasted pecans into hers.
As for Gordon Ramsay? As he reveals in an episode of his "Ultimate Cookery Course," the celebrity chef incorporates two mix-ins into his blondie batter. First, the "Hell's Kitchen" host mixes in a handful of dried cranberries. While this might seem like an atypical ingredient to some, Ramsay claims that the dried fruit "bake beautifully" and add "texture and nice, sweet chewiness," to the blondies. This addition sounds like it's anything but a "Kitchen Nightmare"!
Ramsay also includes two chopped-up bars of white chocolate in his blondie mix. Cook's Illustrated's recipe also incorporates white chocolate, which The Kitchn describes as a way to both enhance and complement the vanilla and butter also included in a blondie recipe.