Coconut And Caramel Blondies

Make the Blondies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat the inside of an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. The pan should be thoroughly coated, as the blondie batter tends to stick. Set aside.

Sift the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon onto a sheet of waxed paper.

Blend together the melted butter and dark brown sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.

Stir in the sifted mixture, blending until all the particles of flour are absorbed. Stir in the coconut and walnuts. The batter will be thick and slightly glossy.

Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until set. Let the blondies stand in the pan on a cooling rack while you prepare the topping.

Make the Caramel Topping: Place the caramels, cream and nutmeg in a small heavy saucepan (preferably enameled cast iron). Set over moderately low heat and cook slowly to dissolve the caramels, stirring from time to time.

When the caramels are completely dissolved (in about 8 minutes), and the mixture is smooth, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. The caramel mixture will be thick.

Immediately spoon the warm caramel topping over the surface of the uncut blondies in wide, patchy drizzles. Cool completely.

With a small, sharp knife. Cut the entire cake into 4 quarters, then cut each quarter into 4 pieces. Store the blondies in an airtight container.