French Blondies

Move over, old-fashioned chocolate brownies, because I’m in my French blondies era. After learning about Taylor Swift’s engagement to Travis Kelce, I wanted to find a way to celebrate. So I took inspiration from Taylor’s favorite cocktail, the French Blonde, and developed these sweet, citrus-flavored bars that taste just like the drink. Do I secretly hope she serves them at their wedding? Yes. Would I settle for her bridal shower? Of course. A girl can dream.

If you’re unfamiliar with a French Blonde, it’s a fruity, botanical cocktail made with grapefruit juice. Like most famous cocktails, the recipe can vary slightly depending on your bartender. However, the traditional recipe will almost always include elderflower liqueur (often St-Germain), London dry gin and Lillet Blanc—a French aromatized wine and aperitif that’s also used to make a white Negroni. Lemon bitters are often added for extra brightness.

This recipe infuses all these flavors into an irresistible blondie recipe that’s bursting with citrus tang and sweet, floral flavors. While the base recipe for these French blondies is delish on its own, I couldn’t resist dressing them up. After all, neither Taylor nor Travis is known for being subtle or understated, so why should these blondies be? Once cool, the blondies are drizzled in a simple glaze made with St-Germain, grapefruit juice and lemon juice, and then are crowned with thin strands of candied grapefruit peel and edible glitter (of course).

The resulting lemon dessert has a flavor profile that is about as layered, complex and coded as Taylor Swift’s latest red carpet look. Every bite is a discovery of the various subtle notes baked right in. Bring a batch to your next event, and you’ll leave with a reputation for being a brilliant and fearless baker evermore.

Ingredients for French Blondies

• Butter: Melted butter is the base for our favorite fudgy brownies, and the same goes for these French blondies. Using melted butter gives the blondies a denser, fudgier consistency, since it prevents air from getting worked into the batter.
• Granulated sugar: Do your best to partially dissolve the sugar in the warm butter during the initial mixing stage. This encourages the formation of that ever-desirable shiny, crackly top when making brownies (or blondies, in this case).
• Grapefruit zest: Rubbing the zest of a grapefruit (or any citrus fruit, for that matter) releases essential oils into the sugar, giving every bite of your French blondies bright, fruity flavor.
• Eggs: Eggs provide vital structure and stability to the batter while also incorporating richness and moisture.
• Vanilla extract: Similar to our lemon brownies, a small splash of vanilla adds further complexity and depth.
• Lemon extract: To bring extra citrus punch, a few drops of lemon extract are added to the batter.
• All-purpose flour: To prevent dense, dry brownies, use a food scale to measure the flour the right way. Remember, one cup of flour is equal to 120 grams.
• Salt: Salt balances the sweetness and enhances the citrus flavor baked into the blondies.
• Baking powder: A pinch of baking powder gives these blondies just enough oomph that they don’t fall flat.
• Confectioners’ sugar: Just like homemade glaze for doughnuts, the topping for our French blondies requires a healthy scoop of confectioners’ sugar.
• Grapefruit and lemon juice: Pink grapefruit juice will give the glaze a rosy hue, and the lemon juice adds some extra tang.
• St-Germain liqueur: Like other floral flavors, a little St-Germain goes a long way, so you’ll only need about a teaspoon to get the perfect amount of botanical flavor in the glaze. Buy a miniature 50-milliliter bottle or add a splash to a French 75 cocktail if you have leftovers.
• Garnish: Taylor always goes above and beyond when she performs, so these blondies deserve the same treatment. Dress them up with sparkling candied grapefruit peel (follow the same method for making candied lemon peel), extra grapefruit zest or a spritz of edible glitter. “Less is more” does not apply here!

Directions

Step 1: Melt the butter

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Set the pan aside.

Step 2: Rub together the zest and sugar

Combine the granulated sugar and grapefruit zest in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar to release the essential oils. Add the melted butter and beat it with the sugar and zest at medium speed until they’re smooth, about two to three minutes.

Step 3: Stir in the remaining ingredients

Add the eggs, vanilla and lemon extract and whisk on medium speed until the mixture is pale in color, about one to two minutes.

Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix just until the batter is combined and no dry patches of flour remain, one to two minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t make the common brownie mistake of overmixing. Doing so will cause your French blondies to be tough and dense.

Step 4: Bake until set

Transfer the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake the blondies for 23 to 27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and cool the blondies completely.

Editor’s Tip: For cake-like blondies, bake closer to the 27-minute mark. For fudgier, gooier blondies, bake closer to 23 minutes.

Step 5: Prepare the glaze

Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by combining the confectioners’ sugar, grapefruit juice, lemon juice and St-Germain until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Editor’s Tip: If the glaze appears thick, add additional grapefruit juice, one teaspoon at a time, until the proper consistency is reached. Ideally, the glaze should have the viscosity of maple syrup.

Step 6: Glaze and garnish

Pour the glaze over the cooled brownies, using a spoon or offset spatula to spread it into an even layer.

Garnish the French blondies with candied grapefruit peel, additional grapefruit zest, and/or edible glitter if desired. Allow the glaze to set completely, at least 30 minutes. To serve, cut the blondies into squares.

Editor’s Tip: The amount of time needed for the glaze to set will vary depending on the temperature and humidity levels of your kitchen.

French Blondies Variations

• Add gin to the glaze: The French Blonde cocktail traditionally include gin, which boosts its botanical flavors. If you have some in your liquor cabinet (I recommend Bombay Sapphire), you can replace up to 1 teaspoon of the grapefruit juice with gin.
• Make a nonalcoholic glaze: If you don’t wish to include alcohol in the glaze, you may substitute one teaspoon of elderflower-flavored coffee syrup. If you can’t find elderflower syrup, look for a lychee syrup or extract, as it will offer a similar fruity and sweet botanical flavor. As a last resort, try pear juice, as people often cite it as comparable to the taste of elderflower.

How to Store French Blondies

French blondies should be stored in an airtight food storage container and kept at room temperature for the best taste and texture.

How long do French blondies last?

French blondies will stay fresh for four to five days at room temperature. Fun fact: While not intended to be an overnight dessert, this is one of those recipes that somehow tastes even better with time. The flavors meld and marry and become even more complex and intense.

Can you freeze French blondies?

Freeze the brownies by baking and glazing the French blondies as directed. Then, store them in an airtight food storage container. If you cut the blondies into squares before freezing them, separate them with layers of parchment paper. Freeze them for up to three months. Thaw them completely at room temperature before serving them.

French Blondies Tips

When should you serve French blondies?

Serve these at your Life of a Showgirl album release party on October 3 alongside a batch of Taylor’s homemade Pop-Tarts, or make them the centerpiece of an upcoming Taylor Swift-themed birthday or bachelorette party.

If you’re not a Swiftie (because we know you’re still reading Taylor Swift content despite your best efforts not to), you can still enjoy this delightful dessert. It’s perfect for any spring or summer gathering you have on the horizon. They’d be a perfect Mother’s Day dessert and would make a stunning finish to Easter dinner, too.

How do you get clean slices of French blondies?

The last thing you want is to muck up the gorgeous glaze on these brownies. For clean slices, we like to cut the dessert bars with a bench scraper instead of a knife. Make sure the glaze is completely set before using a clean knife to cut them into squares. Wiping the blade clean in between slices will also help keep your French blondies looking sharp.

Can children enjoy French blondies?

No, children should not consume French blondies because of the small amount of alcohol in the glaze that does not get removed through cooking or baking. If you wish to make these blondies for the little Swifties in your life, we recommend trying one of the nonalcoholic variations outlined above in the Variations section.