Ingredients
Blondie Cookie Bar
- 1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)
- 1 egg
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
White Chocolate Frosting
- 1 cup white chocolate chips, melted and divided
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
Instructions
Blondie Cookie Bar
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with parchment paper. Note: you can use non-stick baking spray instead of parchment paper but the bars will be a little tricky to get out of the dish.
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. To the melted butter (if very hot, allow it to cool slightly), add the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and stir to combine.
- Add in the flour, salt, and stir until just combined, be careful not to overmix.
- Fold in 3/4 cup white chocolate chips, 1/2 cup cranberries, orange zest, and stir to combine.
- Pour batter into a prepared baking dish, smoothing it lightly if necessary.
- Bake for 18 to 21 minutes and center is set and golden or until edges begin to slightly pull away from sides of the pan, or a toothpick comes out clean; do not overbake. Note: the center of the cake will look under-baked, this is what you want, just make sure the toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow bars to cool before you frost them and before removing from the baking dish. While they cool, make the frosting.
For the Frosting and Topping:
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate for 1 minute, reheating in 10-second intervals, or until it can be stirred smooth. Melting chocolate in the microwave can lead to scorching so melt slowly, and keep an eye on it.
- To the bowl combine the cream cheese, white chocolate, 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and beat until smooth and fluffy. Add additional confectioners’ sugar if you prefer a thicker frosting.
- Frost the bars and sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped cranberries over the top of the frosted bars.
- Allow bars to set up for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before slicing and serving. Slice in triangles like Starbucks or squares.
Keywords: dessert, Christmas, holiday, baking, cranberry, orange, white chocolate