I’ve given you brownies in multiple forms. Now you get to have a Christmas-inspired blondie.

What is a blondie, you ask? A blondie is simply a brownie without cocoa powder. Some recipes use white chocolate in the batter, others do not. I have omitted white chocolate from the batter because it is added to the batter itself as a “filling” so to speak.

To be honest, the only blondies I’ve ever had are ones that I’ve made myself. They’re not very common in bakeries, and if they are there they probably don’t take my fancy as much as something with chocolate.

These bad boys were inspired by a slightly crazed supermarket shop at one of HK’s luxury supermarkets. I got excited in the baking section and bought different flavours of chocolate chips, including white chocolate. Plus Christmas is all about red and white, so what better combination than cranberries and white chocolate?

One disclaimer, these blondies are very sweet. There’s no rich, dark chocolate to power through the sweetness. What does help is the tartness of the cranberries. They are vital is really make sure the taste isn’t cloying, or the sweetness too overpowering.

You can, of course, add and take away whatever fillings you’d like, but I would recommend something to help with the sweetness of the blondies (orange zest, dark chocolate, cream cheese, cranberries, raspberries, etc).

Ingredients

130 grams unsalted butter, softened
210 grams soft brown sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
218 grams plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
210 grams white chocolate chips
218 grams fresh cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar using a handheld whisk on medium-low speed. Add the vanilla and mix well. Add the eggs, one by one, until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, gradually (about a third at a time).
4. Gently fold in the cranberries and the chocolate chips.
5. In a greased baking tray, pour the batter and cover with tin foil.
6. Place in the preheated oven. If using an 8 x 8 tray, bake covered for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 – 20, keeping an eye on the tops. If using a 13 x 9 tray, bake covered for 15 minutes, then remove foil and bake for an additional 20.
7. Make sure the tops are golden, and that a knife comes out clean when poked through the centre.
8. Slice into squares and enjoy.