Chock-Full Blondie Squares
Dense and chewy blondie squares loaded with dried fruits, toasted almonds, and bittersweet chocolate. These decadent bars combine cranberries, cherries, and golden raisins with a buttery cookie base for the perfect sweet treat.
Ingredients
- •1 cup boiling-hot water
- •1 cup dried cranberries
- •1 cup dried tart cherries
- •1 cup golden raisins
- •2½ cups all-purpose flour
- •1½ teaspoons baking soda
- •1 teaspoon salt
- •¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- •2 sticks unsalted butter
- •2 cups sugar
- •3 large eggs
- •1½ teaspoons vanilla
- •1 cup whole almonds
- •8 oz bittersweet chocolate
- •eggnog ice cream
- •1 pan baking pan
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour baking pan, knocking out excess flour.
10 min
- 2.
Pour boiling-hot water over dried fruit in a small bowl and soak 20 minutes, then drain well in a sieve.
20 min
- 3.
Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in another bowl.
5 min
- 4.
Beat together melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Mix in dried fruit, almonds, and chocolate.
10 min
- 5.
Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake until golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack. Run a thin knife around edges of pan to loosen blondie, then cut blondie into roughly 3-inch squares.
30 min
