With Thanksgiving just around the corner, a sweet treat with coconut and Macadamia nuts is interesting and delicious, especially for those who may not find pumpkin pie at the top of their list.
By Kurt Winner
Coconutty Blondies from Executive Chef Rudi Sodamin of Holland America Cruise Lines
I was delighted to meet Executive Chef Rudi Sodamin on a cruise last month and came home with his cookbook “A Taste Of Celebration” containing his Coconutty Blondies recipe. I enjoyed my short repositioning cruise on the Zaandam from Vancouver B.C to San Diego and because I love to cook, this souvenir cookbook is better than a tee shirt. Chef Rudi and the folks at Holland America Cruise Lines have graciously let me share his recipe with you. 
Chef oversees everything food on Holland America, and it’s no small feat. The kitchen crew prepares enormous amounts of food, and quality is number one on everyone’s mind. How about these numbers for weekly preparation: 8500 lbs of meat and meat products, 4000 lbs of poultry, 2000 lbs of fish. You get the idea, it does take a highly trained army of dedicated crew members to make all of this happen for the guests. So with Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought a sweet treat made with coconut and Macadamia nuts would be fun, interesting and delicious too, especially for those who may not find pumpkin pie at the top of their list. This recipe comes from the book “A Taste of Celebration” by executive Chef Rudi, and Holland America Line.
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Coconut Bliss: Coconutty Blondies by Executive Chef Rudi Sodamin of Holland America
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
Description
These toasty, Coconutty Blondies taste of rich butter and are goo-y and good. a favorite aboard Holland America Cruise Lines
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 8 tbsp (120 ml) unsalted butter softened
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) shredded sweetened coconut divided
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) toasted and chopped Macadamia nuts or in a pinch Pecans or hazelnuts will work. See note*
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 350f with the rack in the middle position.
- Butter an 8 inch baking pan
- Sift together flour, baking soda and the salt into a mixing bowl.
- In another combine the butter, and the 2 sugars and mix well.
- Next add the egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add the flour on a low speed until it’s just combined.
- Now with a wooden spoon blend in 3/4 cup of the coconut and the nuts.
- Spread this mixture into the buttered pan, and finally sprinkle the top with the remaining coconut.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack before cutting it into small bars.
- I really like chocolate with coconut: So if you do too, you can sprinkle some chocolate chips (I use semi sweet) over the dish as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- * I ground 1/3 of the Macadamia nuts in a dedicated coffee grinder. The nuts contain so much oil that you will quickly have a paste. I then chopped the remainder of the nuts with a knife to about 1/4-1/8 inch size. If the nuts are salted, cut back on the salt called for in the recipe. This will still give the bars a nice salty sweet taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 290
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the recipe grind one-third of the macadamia nuts instead of chopping them all?
The recipe notes that macadamia nuts are so oil-rich that grinding them in a coffee grinder quickly produces a paste. Grinding 1/3 of the nuts to paste and chopping the remaining 2/3 to about 1/4–1/8 inch pieces gives the blondies both a rich nutty flavor distributed throughout and distinct crunchy chunks.
If I’m using salted macadamia nuts, do I need to adjust the recipe?
Yes — the recipe specifically notes to cut back on the 1/2 tsp of salt called for in the recipe if the nuts are salted. The result will still have a pleasant salty-sweet balance.
Why is only 3/4 cup of coconut mixed into the batter while the rest is saved for the top?
Blending 3/4 cup of the shredded coconut into the batter distributes coconut flavor throughout, while sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup on top before baking toasts to a golden, chewy crust on the surface of the bars.
Can I add chocolate chips to these blondies?
Yes — the recipe suggests sprinkling semi-sweet chocolate chips over the dish as soon as it comes out of the oven, which melts them just enough without making them runny. The author notes this is their personal favorite variation.
