Miso Cinnamon Chip Blondie Bites

(vegan, gluten-free)

Sometimes one starts with a simple challenge after watching too many baking competitions and gets carried away. I asked myself, is it possible to make a vegan, gluten-free dessert using miso paste that is any good? What’s more, is it possible to make such a dessert that is in fact dangerously addictive? The answer is a resounding yes.

These blondie bites are bite-size treats made in a mini muffin pan. The miso paste replaces the salt in the recipe and adds a very faint but nicely balancing umami to the finished product. The apple sauce provides further flavor balance that complements the cinnamon. The ground flaxseed replaces the egg amazingly well as long as it allowed to hydrate properly.

I stole and modified the cinnamon chip recipe from the Taste of Lizzy T Website. My version is mellower than the original recipe, which to me bordered on the actual flavor of cinnamon tree bark. If you can find commercially prepared cinnamon chips, you can substitute those for homemade. I won’t judge you…too much.

INGREDIENTS

• Bars
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
  • ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 2 tablespoons plant milk (preferably almond or soy)
  • 1 tablespoon red miso paste
  • 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons vegan butter, melted and cooled
  • 7 ounces (1 cup) brown sugar
  • 3½ ounces (½ cup) granulated sugar
  • 8 ounces (1¾ cup) gluten free baking flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
  • ½ cup cinnamon chips (recipe follows)
• Cinnamon Chips
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

Blondie Bites

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease mini muffin pan(s) to make 24 individual 1-ounce bites.
2. Stir together ground flaxseed, apple sauce, milk, miso, and vanilla in large mixing bowl. Mix until mixture is smooth. Let sit at room temperature for 10-20 minutes to hydrate flaxseed.
3. In separate bowl, mix together melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
4. Add butter and sugar to flaxseed mixture and mix with electric mixer for about 5 minutes.
5. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and xanthan gum in a large bowl.
6. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix with electric mixer just until thoroughly combined.
7. Fold in cinnamon chips.
8. Scoop 1-2 tablespoons batter into 24 muffin wells.
9. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If making bars instead of bites, pour batter into an 8” x 8” pan covered with a layer of lightly greased parchment paper and bake for 50-60 minutes.
10. Let cool completely in pan for about 2 hours before removing from mini muffin pan. Loosen bites by running a knife around the inside of each bite.

Cinnamon Chips

1. Preheat oven to 200°F.
2. Line a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray.
3. Combine sugar, cinnamon, shortening, corn syrup, and vanilla in a medium sized bowl. Use two forks to combine mixture until it is well mixed.
4. Pour the cinnamon mixture on the prepared sheet. Using the palms of your hands, press and flatten the mixture into a single mass about ¼ inch thick.
5. Bake until cinnamon sugar mixture is melted and slightly bubbly. This will take about 40-45 minutes, but watch carefully to make sure mixture doesn’t burn or overbake.
6. Cool completely and cut into small pieces. Each piece should be no bigger than ¼ inch square.

Notes:

• Recipe makes about two cups of cinnamon chips.
• Store cinnamon chips in airtight container at room temperature for short term use or freeze in airtight bag for up to three months. If frozen, defrost before adding to desserts.