Happy Chocolate Monday! We all know and love brownies, but today I thought I would give you an alternative treat that is especially delicious on warm days … White Chocolate Cherry Blondies!
Blondies are sort of a cross between brownies and cookies, tender, a little chewy, often vanilla or butterscotch flavored, and incredibly adaptable. You can change the flavorings, choice of fruits (or leave them out), and use a different type of chip. Toffee chips, peanut butter chips, and mint chips would all be delicious too. What would you add?
Blondies are the perfect after school snack or picnic treat. They pack and travel extremely well. You can leave them whole or pre-cut them and place them back in the pan you baked them in for transportation. If you are taking them to a pot luck, you can melt the white chocolate there to glaze them or just leave them plain. They are delicious either way.
Another bonus is they are super easy to make. You can make them with a hand mixer, stand mixer, or even by hand. The only part that is a little challenging if you have young helpers is chopping the cherries – you probably want to do that part to help your little chefs.
Before and after baking – not a lot of rise, but delicious!
Have you used a parchment sling before? It is one of my favorite tricks when I am baking something that I need to remove from the pan before cutting or frosting. I keep a stack of precut parchment paper and when I am using a 9-inch pan like I did today, I take a sheet and fold it in the center lengthwise until it fits inside the pan. The ends hang over the edges giving me “handles” to help lift the blondies out of the pan.
Parchment sling – be sure to fold down the “handles” if you are baking them close to a heating element
One of the tricks to using parchment is to lightly butter the pans, then insert the parchment and butter the top of it too. This may be a bit of overkill but it guarantees that the cakes, brownies, or other baked goods will easily release from the pans. Just be sure to peel the parchment off the cake rounds before assembling a layer cake.
When you are looking for a delicious, super easy, and flexible dessert treat for your family, make these blondies. Your house will be filled with the most irresistible aromas, driving everyone crazy!
Happy Chocolate Monday ~ have a fabulous week!!
Glazed blondies with chopped cherries on top
Gluten-Free Tips:
Dried fruits are generally safe, but keep an eye out for the use of malt as a sweetener. It is typically made from barley and can cause distress for anyone with high sensitivity or celiac.
- 6 tbsp butter, cut into cubes
- 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (135g) all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- Pinch kosher or fine sea salt
- 2 tsp finely grated orange zest, optional
- 1 cup dried cherries or dried sweetened cranberries, chopped
- 1 cup mini white chocolate chips
- Additional melted white chocolate for garnishing, optional
- Additional chopped dried cherries, for garnishing, optional
- Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Butter a 9-inch square pan, line with parchment paper, leaving the ends hanging over on two sides to create a sling. Butter the parchment. The sling will help you easily remove the Blondies from the pan before cutting.
- In a medium heatproof bowl, melt the butter in the microwave (about 30 to 45 seconds). When fully melted, stir in the sugar. Transfer to the bowl of your standing mixer and mix on low until you can easily hold the bottom of the bowl in your hand, scraping the bowl occasionally. It needs to be cool enough that you don't wind up with scrambled eggs.
- Add the egg and vanilla to the bowl and beat on medium until creamy.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture in 2 additions, beating well between each addition. When all the dry ingredients have been added, increase the speed to medium and beat until lightly and fluffy.
- Add the orange zest (if using), cherries, and white chocolate chip to the dough, mixing just until evenly distributed. Place the dough in the prepared pan, spreading it into an even layer and pressing into the corners with an off-set spatula.
- Bake for about 12 minutes;* spin the pan and continue baking for another 6 to 8 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool thoroughly.
- When ready to cut, loosen the edges that are not covered by the parchment and then use the paper sling to lift the Blondies out of the pan. Place on a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares.
- For a fancier presentation, trim a slender strip off each side of the block, cut the block into 8 squares, and cut each square in half on the diagonal to create 16 triangles.
- If desired, drizzle each square or triangle of Blondies with melted white chocolate (melt and pour into a piping bag fitted with a very small round tip or a plastic bag, pressing it into one corner; cut a little piece off that corner to create a small opening. Sprinkle the chopped cherries over the top.
- Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
- Yield: 16 servings
- * These times are for a thin aluminum pan. If you are baking in ceramic or an insulated pan, the times will be longer, around 30 minutes and perhaps as much as 10 minutes more. Once it starts to rise and turn golden on top, check regularly until a toothpick comes out clean.
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The suggestions here are not intended as dietary advice or as a substitute for consulting a dietician, physician, or other medical professional. It is the reader’s sole responsibility to determine which foods are appropriate and safe for their family to consume. The author makes no claims regarding the presence of food allergens and disclaims all liability in connection with the use of this site. Please see the Disclaimers page for additional details.
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