Ube is the Filipino word for purple yam, and then made into a jam (ube halaya) or mashed with sweetened condensed milk, the tuber is used in a variety of delicious desserts such as cake, ice cream, cheesecake, and flan. Ube was first brought to Hawai'i by sugarcane workers from the Philippines, and has now become an integral part of the local cuisine on the islands.
These purple blondies are sweet and chewy, and because of how rich they are, one small piece goes a long way. (Note: the bright purple ube extract is liable to stain, so have care when using it.
Both ube halaya and ube extract can be purchased at Filipino/Asian markets, as well as online.
- Butter or vegetable oil for greasing pan
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 12 ounces (1-1/2 cups) ube jam (ube halaya)
- 2 tablespoons ube extract
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
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Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with butter or vegetable oil.
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In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until the sugars have dissolved.
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Add the egg, ube jam, and the ube extract to the butter/sugar mixture, and stir until well-combined. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir until no significant streaks of flour remain. (The batter will be thick.)
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Fold in the white chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
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Dump the batter into the greased baking pan and spread it out evenly with a spatula. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
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Cool for 20 minutes, then cut into squares.