gingerbread blondies

DSC_0226-gingerbread-blondies

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I’m sure I should be focusing on green things and healthy recipes, but I made these gingerbread blondies over the holiday for my Christmas treat boxes and it would just not be fair for me to keep them from you.

I know exactly what some of you are thinking right now: “Gingerbread? Ew!” But, hear me out… I know that you think you don’t like gingerbread. You probably had a bite of a gingerbread house as it was under construction and spit it out in disgust, or ate the legs off of a tiny gingerbread man only to be disappointed by the flavor… or maybe you had a bite of some dry gingerbread cake that fell to pieces in your mouth.

I’m here to tell you that those, my friends, are not what gingerbread is really all about. These blondies, on the other hand, will redeem every negative gingerbread experience you’ve ever had in your life. They are soft and delightfully chewy and filled to the top with molasses and spices that will make your mouth do the happy dance.

I adapted the recipe from Mr. Eats’s favorite blondies.  I kept the basic ratios the same, but punched up the spices and added a healthy dose of molasses to make these babies really shine.

DSC_0233-gingerbread-blondies

gingerbread blondies

Ingredients

  • 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • pinch ground cloves
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and parchment. Lightly grease the parchment with cooking spray or butter.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Stir to combine.
  3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer until fluffy. (If you are using a stand mixer, you will want to use the paddle attachment)
  4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate the egg after each addition.
  5. Scrape down the bowl and add the molasses, beating until incorporated.
  6. Add the vanilla and continue beating another 10 or 15 seconds until it is mixed in.
  7. Add half of the flour mixture and beat on low just until moistened. Add the other half of the mixture and beat on low until just combined, being careful not to overmix. There should be no traces of white flour in the dough.
  8. Spread batter into the prepared pan - it helps if you moisten your hands and use them to help spread and pat the batter into place (it will be quite thick and sticky). Bake until edges are dry and the center is completely set, about 30 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean.
  9. Cool completely on a wire rack and cut into squares.
https://wee-eats.com/2015/01/06/gingerbread-blondies/

gingerbread blondies pin

snickerdoodle blondies

snickerdoodle blondie stackDespite snickerdoodles being one of my favorite cookies, I usually only make them for the holiday season. They are just so labor intensive (for me). I’m far too lazy for all the rolling and the sugar-coating… ugh. No thanks.

These blondies differ from traditional snickerdoodles in a number of ways, which make them both easier and more delicious than your usual snickerdoodle. First off, where a normal snickerdoodle is just a sugar cookie rolled in cinnamon sugar, these have the cinnamon flavor throughout the entire base PLUS the cinnamon-sugar coating. Second, they are bars. That means you don’t have to chill, scoop, or roll them. Just smoosh them into a 9×13 pan and you’re good to go.

snickerdoodle blondie

These snickerdoodle blondies have been in my Christmas Cookie care packages the past two years running, but BF complains that I should make them all year long. It’s just not fair that I only break them out for Christmas. So when BF’s cute little niece came over the other weekend requesting snickerdoodles, I took that as an opportunity to break this recipe out. I don’t think Boyfriend ate a single one, poor thing.

You can see by the slightly cakey texture that these ended up with a bit too much flour in them. It’s amazing what a difference just a little extra flour makes, but these things happen when you have a young apprentice in your kitchen. Luckily, the blondies still tasted great – and that’s the important part. So if you worried that adding too much flour would be the end of the world, don’t be. But if you want the more dense blondie texture for your snickerdoodles, be sure to “scoop and sweep” your flour. 🙂

 

 

< — The texture is usually more dense, like this
Pardon the poor picture quality as it was taken during christmas baking with a cell phone… 2  years ago…  🙂

Perhaps I can add new pictures next time I make this recipe (in December…)

 

 

Snickerdoodle Blondies

[ Printable Recipe ]

For Blondies:

  • 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For Topping:

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • a pinch nutmeg
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 inch pan with foil or parchment – this will make cutting and removing your blondies inifinity easier.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix the remaining cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg; set aside.
  3. In large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar for 3-5 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, and beat until smooth.
  4. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended.
  5. Spread evenly in prepared pan* and sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.
  6. Bake 25-30 minutes or until surface springs back when gently pressed. Cool before cutting.

[ Adapted from MBA ]

Blondies

blondies

Are you ready for the easiest blondie recipe ever??? The best part is, you probably have everything you need right now! Just a stick of butter, some brown sugar, flour, 1 egg, and some mix-ins… and about 30 minutes (including baking and prep).

These usually end up SUPER gooey inside, to where you’re not quite sure they’re adequately baked, but I’m pretty sure it’s just the whole stick of butter. You could probably cut the butter by 2 Tbsp if you really feel the need to, but they’re SO GOOD as is… Like a super gooey chocolate chip cookie/brownie texture.

Optional mix-ins include

  • Chocolate chips
  • Nuts
  • M&Ms (make it easy to “theme” your blondies, green for St Patty’s, pink for Valentines, you get the picture)
  • Other candies (like the new super-cute ultra-mini-reeses)
  • Dried fruits
  • Different alcohol/extract (almond extract, bourbon, whiskey, whatever)

I picked this up over at smitten kitchen who adapted it from How to Cook Everything

Blondies

Printer-Friendly

  • 8 Tbsp melted butter
  • 1 c brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 c AP flour
  • 1 c mix-ins
  1. Beat melted butter with brown sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla.
  2. Mix salt & flour in a separate bowl, then beat into butter mixture.
  3. Stir in any add-ins.
  4. Pour into greased 8×8 baking pan. Bake 20 – 25 min @ 350F, or until set in the middle. Cool on rack before cutting.