Today felt like a little festive milestone — the kind of date you notice and smile about. We put our tree up on Monday and it’s brought that cosy Christmas feeling into the house. This year I kept the decorations simple: green and silver with plain white static lights. I prefer a clean, coordinated look rather than a tree covered in mismatched baubles and flashing lights.
Decorating wasn’t entirely without mishap — I aggravated my back a bit while sorting the baubles — but it’s all done now and looks lovely, presents and all. I’m also planning a big baking day on Friday. I’ve worked out quantities for chocolate, cream and cocoa and I need to buy a stack more chocolate. I always choose the best I can afford for baking; good quality white chocolate melts more smoothly and is less likely to seize or scorch, and I find it worth the extra cost.
This recipe is the second in my choco-mint series and it’s absolutely delicious: Peppermint Blondies. I’d been eyeing candy canes in the supermarket for weeks and finally decided to try a blondie version after spotting a similar idea on Pinterest. These turned out so well they could be dangerous.
Makes 9–12, depending on how large you cut the pieces.
Blondie ingredients (adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook):
> 200g good quality white chocolate (I used Green & Blacks)
> 125g butter
> 150g caster sugar
> 2 eggs
> 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
> 200g plain flour
Frosting ingredients (adapted from Baked Bree):
> 100g good quality white chocolate (I used Green & Blacks)
> 56g (1/2 stick) butter
> 1 3/4 cups icing sugar
> 3 tbsp sour cream
> 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
> 6 candy canes, crushed
Method:
> Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line an 8 x 8 inch square tin.
> Break the white chocolate into a heatproof bowl and add the butter. Melt together over a simmering pan of water or gently in the microwave, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Set aside to cool slightly.
> In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla until frothy, about 2 minutes. Add the melted chocolate and stir to combine, then fold in the flour until just mixed.
> Pour the batter into the prepared tin, level the top and bake for 22–25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out almost clean. Cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
> When the blondies are completely cool, make the frosting. Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
> In a medium bowl, beat together the butter, icing sugar, sour cream and peppermint extract until smooth. Pour in the melted chocolate and mix until fully incorporated.
> Using an angled spatula, spread the frosting evenly over the cooled blondies.
> Put candy canes into a sturdy bag and crush them to small pieces with a rolling pin. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the frosted blondies, then slice into portions — a pizza cutter works well for clean cuts.
> Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Enjoy 🙂
Recipe entered into seasonal link-ups and shared with friends and family.