Don’t be a square this holiday season. We’ve updated the classic blondie with warm spices, white chocolate, and tart cranberries. Finished with a smooth white chocolate frosting, these festive bars are perfect for gifting, holiday parties, or keeping on hand for seasonal snacking.
Spiced Cranberry White Chocolate Blondies
Makes 10 blondies
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (330 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
- ¾ cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 5 ounces (150 grams) white chocolate baking bars, roughly chopped
- ½ cup (78 grams) roughly chopped dried sweetened cranberries
- White Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)
- Garnish: assorted holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9-inch square baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang to lift the blondies out easily.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and cooled melted butter until well combined. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Fold the dry mixture into the sugar mixture just until combined. Fold in the chopped white chocolate and cranberries. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan using an offset spatula.
- Bake until the top is golden and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, about 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.
- Use the parchment overhang to lift the blondies from the pan. Cut the slab in half to make two rectangles, then cut each rectangle into five triangles with about 3-inch bases for a festive shape.
- Fit a large piping bag with an open star tip (such as Wilton 1M) and fill it with the White Chocolate Frosting. Pipe swirls from tip to base on each cooled triangle and finish with holiday sprinkles if desired.
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White Chocolate Frosting
Makes 2½ cups
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup (150 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 7.5 ounces (215 grams) white chocolate baking bars, melted and cooled for 5 minutes
- 1¼ cups (150 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- Green gel food coloring, as desired
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter at medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the melted white chocolate and mix to combine.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar until incorporated. Add the vanilla and salt, then increase speed to medium and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Stir in gel food coloring a little at a time until you reach the desired green shade. Use the frosting immediately for piping or spreading.
Notes
For color we used gel icing colors; adjust intensity by adding a small amount at a time.
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