Description
Delight in these festive Cranberry White Chocolate Blondies featuring a perfect balance of tart fresh cranberries, sweet white chocolate, and salty pistachios. Soft, chewy, and easy to make, these blondies are ideal for holiday treats or any special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Blondie Base
- 150 grams (¾ cup) brown sugar, preferably dark, lightly packed
- 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 113 grams (½ cup, 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 160 grams (1 ⅓ cups) all-purpose flour
Add-ins
- 100 grams (1 cup) fresh cranberries
- 75 grams (½ cup) white chocolate chips or chunks
- 50 grams (½ cup) shelled pistachios, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: At least 30 minutes before baking, remove eggs from the refrigerator to reach room temperature. Measure all ingredients. Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly. Chop pistachios and white chocolate chunks if using. Rinse fresh cranberries in cool water, drain thoroughly, and pat dry.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F (165°C). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper or grease it with non-stick cooking spray.
- Mix Sugars and Butter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and melted butter until well combined and smooth.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the sugar mixture. Whisk until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add baking powder, kosher salt, and all-purpose flour to the wet mixture. Use a silicone spatula or mixing spoon to stir until just combined, approximately 30 seconds, to develop some gluten for chewiness.
- Fold in Add-ins: Gently fold in the fresh cranberries, white chocolate chips or chunks, and chopped pistachios until evenly distributed.
- Transfer and Bake: Pour and spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 33 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
- Cool and Serve: Remove from oven and place the pan on a wire cooling rack for at least 15 minutes to solidify before slicing into 9 pieces.
- Storage: Store leftover blondies at room temperature in an airtight container for 4-5 days to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Use dark brown sugar for a richer, deeper flavor.
- Fresh cranberries provide the best tartness and texture; if unavailable, dried cranberries can be used but will alter moisture content.
- Feel free to substitute pistachios with other nuts like walnuts or pecans.
- Ensure eggs are at room temperature to improve batter consistency.
- Do not overmix the batter once flour is added to avoid tough blondies.
- Allow blondies to cool completely for cleaner slicing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
