Blondie Sundaes with Fried Walnuts and Candied Fennel
A decadent dessert featuring homemade buckwheat blondies topped with vanilla gelato, candied fennel, and sugar-coated fried walnuts. This elegant sundae combines rich, nutty flavors with aromatic fennel and optional ground cherries for a sophisticated twist on a classic ice cream dessert.
Ingredients
- •1 spray Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- •1⅓ cups buckwheat flour
- •⅓ cup almond flour or meal
- •1 teaspoon kosher salt
- •1 cup unsalted butter
- •¾ cup sugar
- •5 large egg yolks
- •1 large egg
- •1 cup raw walnuts
- •1 cup sugar
- •1 large fennel bulb
- •1 whole lemon zest
- •1 whole vanilla bean
- •4 cups vegetable oil
- •⅔ cup powdered sugar
- •2 pints vanilla gelato
- •1 pint ground cherries
- •1 piece deep-fry thermometer
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly coat a 13x9" baking dish with nonstick spray. Whisk buckwheat flour, almond flour, and salt in a medium bowl to combine.
5 min
- 2.
Cook butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until it foams, then browns, 5-8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; let cool slightly. Add sugar and whisk until smooth. Whisking constantly, add egg yolks one at a time followed by whole egg, beating after each addition to fully incorporate before adding more. Add dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Scrape batter into prepared dish; smooth top.
15 min
- 3.
Bake blondies until lightly browned and center is firm when gently pressed, 15-20 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack and let cool. Cut into 16 bars.
20 min
- 4.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 5-8 minutes. Let cool slightly; place in a heatproof jar or airtight container.
8 min
- 5.
Heat sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Let cool slightly; then pour over walnuts. Seal jar and let sit at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.
720 min
- 6.
Pour walnuts into a fine-mesh sieve set over a clean medium saucepan and let syrup drain into saucepan, tossing walnuts to shake off excess. Transfer walnuts to a medium bowl. Reserve sieve.
5 min
- 7.
Add sliced fennel and lemon zest to syrup; scrape in vanilla seeds and add pod. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fennel is translucent and tender, 20-25 minutes. Discard pod; let fennel cool in syrup.
25 min
- 8.
Fit another medium saucepan with thermometer; pour in oil to come 2" up sides of pan. Heat oil over medium-high until thermometer registers 350°F. Add powdered sugar to walnuts and toss to coat. Place in reserved sieve and shake off excess sugar. Carefully add walnuts to oil and cook, turning with a spider or slotted spoon to prevent sticking, until brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet; let cool. Break up any clumps.
15 min
- 9.
Scoop gelato into bowls. Top with ground cherries, blondies broken into large pieces, walnuts, candied fennel, and fennel fronds.
5 min
- 10.
Blondies can be made 2 days ahead. Store tightly covered at room temperature.
- 11.
Walnuts can be fried 2 days ahead. Let cool; store airtight at room temperature. Fennel can be candied 2 days ahead. Let cool in syrup; transfer to an airtight container and chill.
