Brown-Butter Honeycrisp Skillet Blondie

Serves 6 · 15 min prep · 30 min cook

Ingredients

• 10 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 medium Honeycrisp apples
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the butter and cook, swirling often, until it foams, turns deep golden, and smells nutty, about 4 to 5 minutes; immediately pour into a mixing bowl to stop the cooking.
2. 2Whisk the brown sugar and granulated sugar into the warm brown butter until smooth and slightly glossy. Let the mixture cool 2 minutes so the egg will not scramble.
3. 3Crack in the egg and add the vanilla; whisk vigorously until the batter looks thick and emulsified.
4. 4In a separate bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Fold the dry mixture into the butter mixture just until no dry streaks remain; the batter will be thick.
5. 5Core and dice the apples into ½-inch pieces, leaving the peels on for color and texture. Fold most of the apple pieces and the pecans into the batter, reserving a small handful of apple for the top.
6. 6Scrape the batter into the same skillet (no need to wash it) and spread evenly. Scatter the reserved apple over the surface and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
7. 7Bake on the center rack for 22 to 26 minutes, until the edges are deep golden, the center is just set with a slight jiggle, and a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out with moist crumbs.
8. 8Cool the skillet on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes so the blondie firms up. Slice into wedges and serve warm, optionally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for peak early-fall comfort.