Recipe: Gingerbread Blondies

It’s nearly Christmas and it’s going to be a weird one this year. The Netherlands went into its second lockdown last week, and many other parts of the world aren’t doing much better either. I’m fortunate enough to still be able to celebrate Christmas with my loved ones (within the government guidelines) and I’m really looking forward to it. I love Christmas with all of its cosy, happy vibes! Oh, and all of the Christmas baking, of course.

Although I love trying new, more complicated bakes, this has definitely been the year of comfort baking and these gingerbread blondies are no exception. Their delicious, sticky, spicy gingerbread flavour makes them a very Christmassy bake – but they’re also so easy to make! So, if you’re looking for a bake to get you into the Christmas spirit without having to put too much work into it, these blondies are definitely a good option.

Having said that, if you’re not looking forward to Christmas at all – that’s absolutely fine too. It’s okay to feel sad over how this year has gone down. Nevertheless, I hope the end of 2020 brings a bit of happiness and peace to all of us. Happy holidays, everyone!

You’ll need… (for 20 blondies)

• 120 g unsalted butter
• 150 g white chocolate
• 150 g dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons molasses (for the Dutchies: just use keukenstroop)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla flavouring
• 175 g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• a baking tin (mine is 20 x 24 cm)
• parchment paper (optional – you could just grease and butter your tin)
• and an oven, of course! These blondies need to be baked at 170 °C (don’t forget to preheat your oven!)

So, let’s get baking!

1. Melt butter and white chocolate Put the butter and the white chocolate together in a saucepan and melt it over low heat on the stove while stirring.

2. Mix together butter/chocolate and sugar When the butter and white chocolate have melted, take the saucepan off the stove and let the mixture cool for a little bit (only 2 or 3 minutes). Put the sugar in a large bowl, and add the butter/chocolate mixture to it. Mix it together with a wooden spoon or a whisk. It won’t get evenly mixed, but that’s okay: it’ll become a beautiful batter after the next step.

3. Add eggs, vanilla flavouring and molasses Add the eggs to the mixture and mix them through. Also add the vanilla flavouring and the 3 tablespoons of molasses and mix everything together until you’ve got a nice and smooth mixture. The eggs will make sure everything is now evenly mixed.

4. Add flour, baking powder, salt and spices Now you have to add the flour and the baking powder. If either are particularly lumpy I recommend sieving it above the bowl (especially the baking powder – I always sieve that). Also add a pinch of salt and the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Mix it all through until the mixture is nice and smooth again.

5. Bake! Line your baking tin with parchment paper and transfer the batter into the tin. Make sure it’s evenly spread out to the edges. Then, place it in your preheated oven and bake the blondie for 22 to 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. When the blondie is done, take it out of the oven and let it cool inside the tin for a few minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. Let it cool down completely and then cut it into as many pieces as you like.

And that’s it, you’ve got your own gingerbread blondies! Enjoy, and happy holidays!